Childhood Innocence: Past Haunting
by MissehKeehl
Summary: On January 26, 2010, you lost what mattered most to you. Mello, dead of a heart attack. Matt, shot in a hail of bullets. Years past, but you still kept those two Promises. However, what happens when the past comes back to haunt you? WARNING: SEQUEL!
1. Act One: Life After Tradgedy

Childhood Innocence: Past Haunting (A MelloxReader Fanfic)

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**Me: Hey there! In case you don't know, you can call me Misseh, and this would be my second fanfic, so go easy on me! This fanfiction is actually a sequel to one of my previous stories, Childhood Innocence, so if you haven't read that, DO NOT READ THIS!!! Also, if you don't see it at the top, this is a MelloxReader, so if you're looking to get some let's say...L action, you've come to the wrong place. And now, to do the disclaimer....**

**Mello: What the- Where the hell am I?!**

**Matt: W-Wait, don't tell me.....**

**Me: MUHAHAHAHAA!**

**Mello: OH WTF THIS AGAIN?!?**

**Me: YES! For the sequel, it's only proper you guys do the disclaimer since you did _such _a good job the last time! ^^ Just like old times!**

**Matt: *tears* I THOUGHT WE WERE FINALLY FREE!**

**Me: TOO BAD. Now do the disclaimer!**

**Mello: Go to he-**

**Matt: Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters! Also, she does not own Cry for You by September. Thanks! ^^**

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Act One: Life after Tragedy

_Forever and ever, life is now or never_

_Forever never comes around_

_People love and let go_

_Forever and ever, life is now or never_

_Forever's gonna slow you down._

You stared straight ahead at the road, gripping the steering wheel of the car tightly. This morning's commute was no different than the countless others you had taken to work. You still had road rage, you still screamed at the many idiots on the road who cut you off, and, no matter how many times Near would scold you to learn your lesson, you were still late.

However, as you listened to the pop song that ran through the speakers of your car, you felt as though your insides were twisting. You almost flinched each time the word "forever" was mentioned. It was amazing how relevant the lyrics were to…well, just about anything that had ever mattered to you.

_You'll never see me again_

_So now who's gonna cry for you?_

_You'll never see me again_

_No matter what you do._

You hit the brakes swiftly; nearly running a red light after your mind became a haze. _Ha…Forever…_ you thought, tugging as the crucifix around your neck.

_Forever…what a joke._

You sighed, engulfed in bitter thoughts and cursed by the songs of the mainstream radio. You turned to the SPK headquarters, ready for another day of work.

_It's been two years, Harmony,_ you told yourself. _Get yourself together. It's just another day…_

Today's date was January 26, 2012.

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You pushed the doors to the main investigation room, out of breathe, to many faces of disapproval. You were over three hours late due to heavy traffic, and you were expecting pure hell from your co-workers. One familiar face stared at you with disinterest, pale-gray eyes watching your every move.

"Nice of you to finally decide to join us, Harmony," Near said with heavy sarcasm. You scratched the back of your head nervously, uncomfortable underneath all the glares on you.

"U-Um, I know you've heard this so many times before, Near, but once again…I'm sorry I'm late, it won't happen again, I pro-"

"Oh, don't bother, Harmony. Just sit down and get to work," Halle said. It was always like her to be straight to the point, and, though sometimes it seemed harsh and uncaring, you became used to it; perhaps she even grew on you.

You took a seat at your cluttered desk, skimming through many files. "So…what's today's case? Is it the one with the murdered mother of two found on-"

"That one was solved last week, Miss Harmony," Near interrupted.

"Um, okay….What about the kidnapping of-"

"Solved on Thursday."

"The rape and killing of-"

"Over a month ago."

"The serial killer-"

"This morning."

"Jesus, Near, is there anything you _didn't _solve yet?" you said, crossing your arms impatiently. Near smiled a little smugly.

"Well, it's not my fault if you don't ever come in on time. Besides, you should know better that all the cases after Kira became far too simple."

You sighed, leaning back in your chair and resting your feet on your desk. "Well, if there's nothing to do, why are we still here?"

Near pulled out one of his toy robots from within his desk, holding it to his chest. "Well, you have a point there, Miss Harmony. Dismissed, everyone."

With that, everyone filed out of the room with short goodbyes. When you got up to leave, Near pulled on your sleeve. "_Except _you."

You groaned, falling back into your chair again. "Near, I told you I was sorry! Can't I just go home?"

Near pushed some buttons on his robot, causing lights to flicker in different colors. "That wouldn't be fair, would it? As punishment, you're not only going to organize your files, but everyone else's as well."

Your jaw dropped in horror. "_What?!_ But that will mean I'll have to pull an all-nighter!"

Near smirked, pushing buttons on his toy again. "Well, I guess so, Miss Harmony."

You scowled at the small albino. "I'm leaving, Near." Near pulled on your sleeve again, his smirk faded.

"What's the rush, Miss Harmony? Do you have someone to rush home to?"

"……Bastard…," you cursed under your breathe stomping to your desk. You threw the files to the floor, clearing it completely, and began to get to work.

"You know, Near, if you just needed someone to stay with your pitiful, lonely self, you should've just told me," you said through gritted teeth.

"I don't really want to surround myself with pissy subordinates."

"I'm taller."

"I'm smarter."

"You're too pale."

"You're too plain."

"He didn't think-"

You immediately stopped yourself, slowly turning back to the files on the floor. You knelt down, preoccupying your mind with different arrangements for each case. _Perhaps by murders, kidnappings, and unidentified? But where would that leave mysterious suicides? No, maybe this would work…_

"Miss Harmony."

Near's voice of monotone interrupted your thoughts, and your eyes traveled slowly to his seat.

"I know what today is."

"……….."

"Would you care to air con-"

"_Vent, _Near. I _vent_ my feelings, I _air condition _the room," you said, smiling lightly.

Near smiled back. "Nonetheless, the same question still stands."

You sighed, scooting over to sit next to him. Near slid out of his chair onto the floor, sitting beside you.

"…It's the anniversary…."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"……"

Near twirled his hair, staring for any reaction in your face. "How do you feel?"

You tugged once again on your rosary. Twirling the crucifix in your fingers, you smiled warily to yourself.

"It's silly, isn't it? After two years, I still….." You fell silent, unable to think of anything more to say.

"….He was a good person…."

You got up slowly, taking your bags with you.

"Good night, Miss Harmony."

"Bye, Near."

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You tossed your bags onto the floor when you arrived back home in that all too familiar Motel room. On that day…you remember how much you hated the place, how all the memories were so painful to recall. However, when you tried to leave, you couldn't bear to leave them behind.

You sat down, leaning against the back of your old couch. Feeling under the cushions, you pulled out a small red game system delicately, pressing the power button. Then, just like you would do ritually every night, you began to play Pokemon until you would later pass out from exhaustion.

_Maybe this is why you are late every day,_ your conscience told you. You ignored it, however, as you had a tendency to. You _had_ to play it every night. You weren't just obligated to, but you were under some unknown command to play. It had become a necessity, especially on this day. You had to keep those memories…._their _legacy….alive.

Hours later, your eyelids were becoming so heavy that they covered half your eyes. Mountains of heavy coffee cups surrounded you; your attempts at staying awake had seemed futile.

But, just before you closed your eyes, you swore you saw a dark silhouette, almost looking over your shoulder, at the game held limply in your hands.


	2. Act Two: Nightmares

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**Me: Hooray for sequels! ^^ Thanks to my reviewers, and also to my subscribers, who are diligently keeping up with the story!**

**Mello: Why couldn't you just leave us alone?**

**Matt: Yeah! My poor, poor gameboy... *sobs***

**Mello: Gameboy? Are you kidding?! What about the poor _reader! _They have to work with friggin' _Near! _I'd say that even if we're dead, we're a hell of a lot better off than her!**

**Me: Aww, guys, you're so mean ;3;**

**Near: I'll have you know, I took very good care of the reader.**

**Mello: LAY THE HELL OFF HER!**

**Me: Green is not your color, Mello *smirk***

**Mello: ....**

**Near: Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters!**

**B.B.: DID SOMEONE SAY JAM?!?!?!!?!?  
**

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Act Two: Nightmares

When you walked in at 6 a.m. in the SPK headquarters on a Saturday, you could imagine the shock on Near's face…if he could express shock.

"Miss Harmony, what an unexpected surprise," Near said, rolling one of his toy cars on the floor. You sighed, rubbing your eyes with exhaustion.

"I couldn't sleep the entire night."

Right where you stood, you fell to your knees, curling into a ball on the floor. You yawned, looking around the room.

"Near…I think the nightmares are back…"

Near scooted over to where you lay, patting your back awkwardly. "I see…I thought the nightmares ended many months ago. Has the anniversary brought them back again?"

You shrugged, blinking slowly. "I t-think….I think I saw…." You couldn't finish your sentence before tears sprang up into your eyes.

Near sat silently, and you could tell he wasn't one for tears. He petted your hair, unsure of what else he could do. "You think you saw what?"

You sighed, wiping at the tears in your eyes. "I-I think I saw Matt……"

Near fell silent again, still petting your hair. "Um, you know Near, I'm not one of your stuffed animals…you can stop petting me now."

Near retracted his hand, but he still eyed you curiously. "These nightmares are reoccurring…they happen too often, if you ask me. Something is not right."

You sighed, sitting up straight again. "Yeah, I get it, I'm messed up in the head. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to use your desk as my bed for the next two hours."

Near groaned, twirling his hair in annoyance. "It wasn't made for that purpose, you know. If you like, I can offer you a ride home, since it's probably not safe to drive half-asleep."

You smiled, taking the offer. "Alright….thanks again, Near."

As you left the room to the limo that waited for you downstairs, Near sighed.

"Be careful, Miss Harmony. Something is not right…"

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The limo dropped you off promptly, and you thanked the driver for keeping you in his care. You walked up the steps to the third floor, heading to the hallway that held your room.

You only made it halfway through the halls before chaos struck.

The walls of the hallway were smeared with trails of red lines pointing towards your room. The door to your room was left wide open, and you entered cautiously, your hand hovering near your purse where you held your gun.

Upon entering the apartment, you dropped your bags immediately, shuddering in fear.

A small, red gameboy lay on the floor in front of one of the walls. There, on the wall, painted carelessly in some sort of red substance, was written:

_Long time, no see, friend._

You fell to your knees, clutching fistfuls of your hair and curling in a fetal position. You screamed at the top of your lungs, wanting so desperately for someone to come.

_I don't understand,_ you thought frantically. _W-Why? What the hell does all this mean?!?_

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_

When Near and his team finally arrived, you had been curled up in the stairwell for hours, waiting impatiently. Near knelt down next to you, poking you with a pencil.

"Miss Harmony, I thought that kneeling was my thing."

You managed a smile, but you sat completely still, fear still coursing through you. "N-Near, you know why I called you here."

Near reached out and grabbed your hand, tugging both of you to a standing position. "Yes, you called in quite a panic. Let's see the apartment now, shall we?"

You grasped onto the albino's arm tightly as you entered the apartment, still shaken by the writing on the wall. Near traced the curves of the writing with his eyes, and walked closely up to the wall, almost putting his face in it.

Then, using his finger, he smeared some of the red substance, and _licked it _off his fingers.

"N-Near! What if that's blood?! What the hell are you-?"

"Strawberry jam," he stated, interrupting your rant. "This is jam on the walls. Could it be…? No, he was caught years ago by L in Los Angeles….," Near mumbled to himself. He turned you, his face serious.

"Miss Harmony, you say you've been hallucinating people of your past, correct?"

You nodded slowly, though you didn't like being compared to a mental person.

Near twirled his hair, walking across the room in thought. "Now, Miss Harmony, have you ever thought that these were more than hallucinations?" Near said slowly. You furrowed your brow in confusion at his vague statement.

"Miss Harmony, it does sound like a strange conclusion, but ever since Kira, you should know better that anything is possible."

You nodded again, thinking of the possibility. _But if it's not just a hallucination, then what is it?_

Near walked over to you, pulling you by the arm out of the apartment.

"Miss Harmony, if you would come with me, there is something I would like you to see."

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Both you and Near had been driven by limo back to SPK headquarters, but you entered a part of the building you had never seen before. Thick, steel walls covered the area, and it seemed only Near had the keys to enter. The limo finally stopped, dropping you both of in front of what looked to be a giant safe.

Calmly, Near entered a pin code, and the huge safe door opened wide with a _creak_. Inside of the safe, it looked much like a bank's deposit box safe, with rows of boxes lining the walls. Using the key, Near opened the last box in the third row, pulling out what was inside.

"I believe you are familiar with what this is," Near said slowly. In his hands he held a sleek black book, shining in the light.

"T-That's the notebook…that Kira used to kill….," you said in disbelief. Near sighed, dangling the Death Note between his fingers. "Yes, just one of many, actually. If you would touch it, you would be able to see the shinigami."

Slowly, you placed your hand on the notebook, and twirled around to see the god of death that came as a sort of "packaged deal" with the notebook. Immediately you began to smile when you saw what awaited you.

"SIDOH!!" you squealed, running towards your old and creepy friend. You glomped the Shinigami, not caring about the strange stares from Near you attracted.

"I remember you, you're that mafia chick!" he stated obviously. "Where's the scary blonde?"

You fell silent, eyes glued to the floor. "H-He's not here right now…."

"Anyway," Near added quickly, changing the subject. "I have something to ask of you, Shinigami."

Sidoh yawned, barely interested. "Yeah, what do you need?" he said in his whiny voice.

"Shinigami, is it possible after a person is dead, to return to this world?"

Your head snapped in Near's direction, eyes wide. "Near, what are you saying?!"

Sidoh smirked. "Actually, in extremely rare circumstances…if the deceased's spirit is powerful enough, they can actually not cross over to the other side."

Your eyes widened, thoughts of realization streaming through your mind. Sidoh only watched you with a sharp grin.

"Tell me, do you believe in ghosts?"


	3. Act Three: Return

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**Me: Ah, yes, jam is frightening, isn't it?**

**Mello: Where the hell am I in the story, anyway? What makes Matt so special? Besides mentally, anyway.**

**Matt: STFU, I'm _magnificent, _that's why!**

**Mello: Whatever. If I'm not even in the story yet, then why am I still forced to do these damn disclaimers?!**

**Me: Because without Mello, it's just Yellow ^^**

**Mello: Dear god, not that again -_-**

**Matt: Mello Yellow: It's delicious! ^^**

**Me: *coughGAYcough***

**Matt: -_-**

**Me: Do the disclaimer, please.**

**Matt: Misseh doesn't own Death Note or the characters, and she also is _not _delicious. *pout*  
**

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Act Three: Return

The limo ride back to your apartment was silent. Near made no attempt to speak to you, but in a way, you were thankful. You were too preoccupied replaying the scene at the safe over and over in your mind….

"_Tell me, do you believe in ghosts?" Sidoh said with a grin._

_Your hands trembled at hearing the question. "I-Impossible…there is no such thing!" you stuttered._

_The Shinigami only smirked, shaking its head. "That is where you're wrong. They are very, very real."_

_You shook your head madly, tears beginning to fall from your eyes. "N-No…you're lying! They aren't here…they aren't…," you mumbled to comfort yourself._

_Near patted your back. "That's enough, Sidoh. Thank you for the help, but I now relinquish ownership of the notebook." With that, Near placed the book back into the deposit box, locking it up tightly._

"_Let's go, Miss Harmony," he said softly, leading you back to the limo._

The limo stopped in front of the motel, the chauffeur opening the car door for you. You stepped out in silence, your only words being 'thank you' and 'goodbye'.

Once you entered the room again, you sat on the floor, hugging your knees. You looked from the wall to the little gameboy on the floor. Sighing, you picked up the game and turned on the consol.

You heard footsteps behind you.

Flipping around quickly, you shut off the game, reaching for the gun in your purse. There was no one there, and you didn't hear the footsteps again.

You turned on the consol cautiously, once again preparing for your nightly ritual.

_Step. Step._

"Who's there?!" you yelled, turning off the game and once again reaching for your weapon. Same as before, however, the stepping stopped and there was no one to be seen. You started to notice a trend, however, and decided to test it.

On.

_Step. Step._

Off.

_Silence. _

You repeated the action, and when you received the same results, you were satisfied. You held the handheld gently in your palm, still slightly shaking.

"M-Matt…?" you called out softly, almost inaudibly.

You sat for a while, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. _Is this gameboy the connection? M-Maybe…if it's true…he needs some way to communicate…_

Placing the gameboy on the floor, you got up and ran to your room to retrieve what you needed. When you came back, you held your Nintendo DS in your hands, and you entered Pictochat.

_**Harmony26 has entered the chatroom.**_

You waited for a while in the almost deafening silence of the room. Suddenly, you heard a familiar _ping _come from your DS.

_**BringingSexyBack13 has entered the chatroom.**_

You nearly dropped the DS in disbelief. "_I-Impossible!_" you shrieked, tears welling in your eyes.

_**BringingSexyBack13: **_**Don't drop it, stupid!**

Your head twirled around the room. "M-Matt? Y-You're not really-"

_**BringingSexyBack13: **_**Are too! **

Shakily, you pressed the stylus against the screen to type back.

_**Harmony26: **_**How?**

_**BringingSexyBack13: **_**Not sure, really. **

_**Harmony26: **_**Why?!**

_**BringingSexyBack13: **_**Why am I here? Same answer. What, not happy to see me?**

_**Harmony26: **_**I can't see you. **

"Now you can," whispered an echoing voice in your ear.


	4. Act Four: Godsend

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**Me: Yay, Matty's back! ^^**

**Mello: -_-**

**Me: Oh you're just jealous the reader didn't see you yet.**

**Matt: Don't be hatin' *snaps fingers***

**Me: o.o**

**Mello: *twitch* Every second I'm away from him is a blessing. Never mind, I'm ok with not being in the story yet. o.e**

**Me: Uh...anyway, the disclaimer still needs to be done...**

**Matt: *shakes booty* WHY DON'T CHU DO IT YO SELF?**

**Mello: I am scarred for life, but Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters.  
**

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Act Four: Godsend

Never in your life did you believe in ghosts.

When your mother was alive, you would remember how she would always check your closet and under your bed, telling you no monster or ghost would come out and hurt you. You've heard countless ghost stories, but they never held any reality to them, and would bore you. You've seen many ghost hunting shows, but you always stood your ground and called their "sightings" special effects.

That was until you saw Matt's figure standing before you.

"_N-No!" _you shrieked, throwing anything that wasn't tied down at your friend who you thought was dead. Matt held his arms up in defense, but anything thrown just went through him. This only frightened the hell out of you even more, and you reached for your gun in a panic.

"_Don't _point that thing at me! Bad memories…," he said, his voice sounding far away.

Tears overflowed from your eyes. "M-Matt!" you wailed, dropping your gun and burying your face in your hands. Matt ran towards you quickly, wrapping his airy arms around you in attempt to hug. However, he only went through you, a pained expression coming across his face.

"S-Sorry…I hate feeling so…useless."

"Y-You're the farthest thing from useless, Matt," you sobbed. Matt hovered his hand over your head, trying to pet your hair comfortingly. "I'm sorry, babe. I can't do anything…"

You shook your head, wiping your tears away. "You're doing what you can, and it's plenty. But Matt…why didn't you cross over?"

Matt grinned. "Well, I saw what it was like up there, but…I decided to turn back. I like it better here."

You smiled, now crying tears of joy. "W-Welcome back, Matt…."

"Yeah…it's good to be home.

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You lay back on the couch, dangling the red gameboy from your fingers. "So…you're a ghost…and whenever this thing is on, your connection to here is stronger?"

"Basically," he said, sticking his ass through the wall and laughing like an idiot. "This is fun."

"I see….," you said. "Hey, Matt?"

"Yep?"

You held out the game to him. "Here."

Matt's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"You told me the day you left…to give it back to you when you got home…," you said, smiling softly.

Matt smiled back. "T-Thanks…."

You placed the consol on the floor, sighing deeply. Suddenly, realization overwhelmed you, and you shot up.

"M-Matt!"

Matt removed his head from the floor. "Yeah?"

You grasped the crucifix tightly in your fist. "I-If you came back, then…."

Matt smiled softly. "Do you miss him?"

You nodded furiously, clutching the crucifix tighter. Tears flew off your cheeks.

Matt passes in and out from the walls, smirking. "Well, I can lead you to him, then."

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You drove slowly down the empty road, Matt struggling to keep from falling into the back seat. "It's nice to be in a car again, but it sucks not to be able to drive," he whined, clawing at the dashboard.

"Just give me directions, Matt. You've been whining for the past half hour," you snapped impatiently. You were careful with the on gameboy in your purse, constantly checking its condition.

Matt finally pointed out an old church, looking as though it would fall apart any moment. Everything looked burnt and destroyed; the only thing relatively in tact was the cross that stood at the roof's peak.

_What a depressing scene,_ you thought, getting out of the car. Matt trailed behind you, each of his steps hovering just above the ground. You entered the church through an archway, looking around the building.

"Matt, is this the place?"

Matt stared at the floor, running his hands along the stone walls. "Yeah…this is the church that burned down…with him inside. R-Remember?"

Your heart sank, and you clenched your fists. _This goddamn place…_

You grasped the rosary around your neck again, taking in a deep breathe. _I haven't even said his name in so long, it's painful…_

Matt peered over your shoulder, smiling comfortingly. "Go ahead."

"…..M-Mello?" you called.


	5. Act Five: To Be Loved

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**Me: I think Matt likes floating a bit too much...**

**Matt: Flying's a thrill, but you wouldn't undertand.**

**Mello: AHEM.**

**Matt: Oh yeah, the blonde one can fly too, but I think the gift is wasted on him.**

**Me: Blonde one? o.o Maybe this new power is getting to your head.**

**Matt: SILENCE, GROUNDY!**

**Me: Um...Yeah...**

**Matt: Misseh doesn't undertand the greatness of floating. She also does not own Death Note or it's characters.  
**

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Act Five: To Be Loved

You called out Mello's name once, but it echoed many more times, bouncing off the walls of the empty church. You shut your eyes tight, afraid for what would happen.

"Harmony…."

Your eyes shot open, widening considerably. At the far end of the church, a dark figure stood with his arm extended towards you.

"M-Mello…," you said, letting the tears form in your eyes, travel down your cheeks, and die as they fell to the floor, the dripping sound so incredibly loud to your ears.

Mello was by your side in almost an instant, trying desperately to pull you in an embrace. He cursed angrily as his arms only passed through you, his eyes burning with self-hate and desire to hold you again.

"Mello…," you said softly. "I-It's ok, I understand. I'm just shocked, is all…."

Unbelieving of your comment, Mello settled for resting his head on your shoulder the best he could, arms half-wrapping around your waist. Matt came up from behind you, wrapping around your shoulders and speaking to you comfortingly.

_It's amazing…how I get the most comfort from people who aren't even here._

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_

Mello refused to let go of you, even in the car ride home. Taking advantage of his impermeability, he went through the driver's seat and wrapped around your waist from the back seat.

Matt balanced on his head in the front seat, floating with his bottom sticking up in the air.

"You know, you both are very distracting," you said, annoyed. Matt giggled as he pressed his butt cheeks against the window to a truck driver on the road beside you.

You sighed, slightly enjoying his antics. "If only the poor guy knew he was getting mooned by a ghost."

Mello scoffed, going through the seat to rest his head on your shoulder. "Matt should use his powers for more useful things."

"Oh yeah, Mello," Matt said while flipping off a small child in the car behind yours. "Hugs save the starving children in Africa; they're _real _productive."

You laughed at his heavy sarcasm, enjoying the playful banter you missed so much all this time. You sighed happily as you finally reached the motel, though Mello's expression was shocked. "You _still _live here?! You deserve way better than this shit-hole."

You only walked happily to the front door, Mello latched around your waist and Matt skipping behind. "I tried leaving this place, but I didn't want to leave the memories behind. Besides, it's my home now…well, ours, I should say."

You waved happily to Sarah, the woman who worked at the front desk. You and she had become good acquaintances, and she would always help you out when it was needed.

"O-Oh! Hello, Harmony! You look happy today, that's nice," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Oooh, pink polka-dots," Matt said, sticking his head under the front desk.

"You're disgusting, you pervert!" you scolded him, but Sarah stared at you with a hurt and pained expression.

"I-I didn't realize saying you looked happy…was perverted. I-I'm terribly sorry!" she said, seemingly on the verge of tears.

"Y-You mean you don't see…? Oh," you mumbled, facepalming inwardly. "N-No! You're not a pervert! I just…never mind, it's nothing."

You quickly made your way up the steps in embarrassment, Mello dangling by your waist behind you. Matt laughed at your reaction all the way to the apartment.

You attempted to slam the door in Matt's face, but you only succeeded in making his head go through the door, resembling much like a decapitated head.

"Stop that! That's creepy," you snapped, sitting down on the couch. Mello attempted to lay down on the couch with you, placing his head on your lap, but he only fell through awkwardly to the floor.

You giggled to yourself at the boys' misery of having almost zero solidity. Mello groaned, crawling out from under the couch. He was steaming, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth together.

"Be back later…," he spat, storming off to his old room. You watched him leave with curiosity, Matt doing the same.

"Matt, we're all reunited. What's he so pissed about?"

"I dunno, you should check," he said with boredom, swatting his palms through your head. You waved him away, walking to Mello's room.

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"Mello?" you said quietly as you pushed the door to his room slowly. Many of his old things were tossed on the floor in what appeared to be one of his temper tantrums. He stood silently, looking out one of the windows of his room.

"Mello, what's up?" you said, leaning on the windowsill next to him. He breathed deeply, glaring at the sky.

"I hate all this. I'm so friggin' _sick _of this shit."

You eyed him carefully. "Sick of what?"

"Of _this!_" he spat angrily, thrusting his arms through the window ease. "I can't do _anything! _It's torture…I can't hold you, kiss you…hell, I can't even _sit down_! What's the point of being back when with this curse, it's like I'm barely here anyway?!"

Your cheeks turned a deep crimson color at his rant. "M-Mello, you don't know how happy I am you're here. I didn't have anyone before..," you said trailing off.

Mello's expression softened, going from anger to sadness. "S-Sorry…"

You smiled. "Don't be. It's always nice to know you're loved."

Mello once again tried to hug you, wrapping his arms around your waist. However, once again, his attempt proved pointless. You reached to your neck, pulling the rosary that hung there above your head.

"Here…this was left behind. I kept it, but it's rightfully yours."

You put the rosary over his head, and to your amazement, it hung around his neck instead of passing through.

"H-How is it hanging?" Mello asked, but you shrugged. Mello wrapped his arms cautiously around your waist again, and instead of passing, it stayed there. You felt his presence, and he smiled at the development.

"Love's got amazing powers, doesn't it?" you said with a wild grin. He was still a ghost, still floating and invisible to people other than you, but he could finally be a bit more…there.

He pressed his forehead to yours. "It's good to be back."

"_Oh, reunited and it feels so good!" _Matt sang from the other room.


	6. Act Six: SPK

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Me: AWWW You're so sweet Mello. Now you can finally hold the reader again! *fangirlgasm***

**Mello: ......**

**Matt: I'm thinking of starting a Moon Truck Drivers club!**

**Me and Mello: o.o**

**Matt: What?! I bet you fifty bucks I'll get thousands of applicants!**

**Me: S-Sure thing, Matt....**

**Mello: Yeah, good luck with that. Anyway, Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters.  
**

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Six: SPK

You felt a shift in the other side of your bed, and you groaned in annoyance. Mello served as a nice human pillow, that is, when he would stay still for once in his life. You were barely able to sleep last night, and today you had work again…

_Shit, work! _You had forgotten all about your habit of being consistently late, and you rolled to the floor in a panic, tangled within your bed sheets.

"Mnn…What's your hurry?" Mello said half asleep.

"I've got work today, and I don't want to be late for the millionth time," you said, swiftly taking off your PJs and wrapping a towel around you in preparation to shower.

"There's no need for the towel," Mello said teasingly, but you ignored his remark, dashing into the bathroom. Matt floated through the walls in a circular motion, yawning with boredom.

"'Sup," he greeted to Mello, who only grunted in reply. Matt stuck his head through the bathroom door. "'Sup."

"MATT, WHAT THE HELL?!" you shrieked.

Matt quickly removed his head from the door, his eyes wide with his cheeks a bright pink. He turned to Mello, who lay back with ease on the bed.

"Nice choice," Matt said, thumbs up.

"If you weren't untouchable, I'd kill you right now," Mello hissed in a threatening tone. You finally emerged from the shower, tossing clothes from your closet onto the floor in a rush.

"Wow, your boss must really have a stick up his ass if you're so worried about being late," Matt said, dodging the rain of clothes.

"Not really. Near's pretty decent, it's just that this lateness is repetitive and-"

"I'm sorry, _what _the _fuck _did you just say?!?" Mello said, almost yelling. "You work for _whom?!"_

You scratched the back of your head nervously, backing into the dark depths of your closet. "Absolutely no one," you said quickly, shutting the closet doors and changing inside.

Mello sprang out of the bed, speeding over to the closet. He put his hand through the door, feeling around for where you were. He smirked when he felt something soft, most likely your cheek.

"ABHBWIHBFHIW MELLO THAT'S NOT MY FACE!"

Mello's eyes widened beyond human limits, and he immediately retracted his arm. He put his palm over his face to hide the deep red color it had turned, and he ran quickly under the bed for cover. You came out from the closet shyly, fully dressed but covering your chest with embarrassment.

"AHAHAHA! DUDE, NICE AIM!" Matt cried, rolling around midair in laughter. Mello groaned in annoyance from under the bed, and you glared at the laughing redhead.

"L-Let's just go, guys…Matt, here's your gameboy," you said, holding out the handheld to him.

"Why? I don't need it right now."

"Yes, you do. Mello's rosary gives him more ability to touch things-"

"Oh yeah, I got that point a while ago."

Your eyes narrowed. "Pervert. Anyway, you need your gameboy so you won't go through things as much."

Matt rolled his eyes. "I happen to _like _going through things a lot."

"So you don't want to be able to hold things, or at least sit somewhat normally?"

"Nope. If I sit normally, how can I moon people on the freeway?"

You sighed; your attempts to reason with him were useless.

"Alright, let's just hurry up and go. I'm already late, but I at least don't want to be late by three hours."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You opened the doors to the investigation room slowly, knowing you would be caught in the crossfire of disapproving glares and rude comments.

"G-Good Morning, everyone…"

Near flew a fighter plane above his head, making zooming noises every now and then.

"More like good afternoon, Miss Harmony. Late again, as usual."

"Little _prick, _I should kick his ass," Mello growled behind you. You forced a smile, ignoring the comment. "I'm sorry, Near. What's today's case?"

Near twirled his hair, tilting his head to the side. "You should know. Ever since the entire apartment incident, we've been investigating you."

"W-Wait, I'm the case?" you said in disbelief.

"Of course. After all, one could only become concerned for you when something so traumatizing happens."

You smiled softly at his caring action. "Thanks, Near, you're really-"

You heard a sudden _swish _of fabric, and you slapped your palm over your eyes.

"N-Near?"

"Yes?"

"Y-Your pants are down…."

Near looked down as though he were oblivious to what happened.

"Oh, yes, it appears so."

_Silence._

"N-Near?"

"Yes?"

"A-Aren't you going to pick them up…?"

"Oh, I suppose I should."

Near pulled his pants up from the waistband and sat in his usual position, as though nothing happened.

"By the way, Mello, that was very low, even for you. How childish."

"W-What?!?" Mello yelled from behind Near, no longer looking triumphant. He looked at you accusingly. "I thought no one could see us but you!"

You shrugged. "Maybe Near's just very intuitive." The other members of the SPK looked from you to Near with a crazed expression, unsure of what just happened. "Who the hell are you talking to?!" Halle barked, demanding an explanation.

Near smirked, releasing the strand of hair that he curled from his grasp. "I see I was right. Miss Harmony, it's true you're being haunted by Matt and Mello isn't it?"

The group in the investigation room gave you odd looks, but you nodded. "I-It's hard to explain…" Matt twirled in the air, frowning. "What do you mean by 'being haunted'? We're not some ghostly curse, we're a blessing!"

You rolled your eyes, turning your attention back to Near. "So, how did you know?"

Near sighed. "Well, the Shinigami did say it was possible for spirits to not cross over. I made a hypothesis that they had come back, and of course, I was right."

"Psh…what a smug little brat! 'Of course, I was right'! Friggin' prick," Mello ranted.

You shook off his comment, taking a seat at your work desk. Halle leaned over, putting her hand on your forehead. "Um, are you feeling alright, sweetie? I've seen some crazy shit ever since Kira, but I still don't believe that-"

"Trust me, they're here, and I'm fine," you said reassuringly, pushing her hand away. Near rolled his movable chair to your desk, staring at you as though you were out of this world.

"Why is it only you can see them?" he inquired. You shrugged, flipping through some files on your desk. "Not sure. I don't know a lot about all this, but…I can't say I'm complaining…"

Near twirled his hair in thought for a moment before speaking up again.

"Harmony, I have a theory. With your permission, perhaps I would like to try something that may work to bring them back to life again."


	7. Act Seven: Celebration

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**Josephine_Falnor: **On another note, I'm glad Matt's enjoying himself. I'm not thousands, but I wouldn't mind joining...to help him win the bet. ^_^ Love ya Matt!!

**RavenFire40: **PS I know some people that would love to moon truck drivers. XD

**Matt: SEE?!?! SEE?!? HA! I TOLD YOU! I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG! ALL OF YOU WERE WRONG! AHAHA!**

**Mello: -_- Matt, you're a complete idiot.**

**Me: *wears trucker hat* O-Oh shit....Ahem, M-Mello, w-what are you doing here? Hehe '^///^**

**Mello: WTF You can't be serious!**

**Matt: I AM THE GOD OF MOONING TRUCK DRIVERS! ALL SHALL OBEY ME!**

**Mello: Yeah, while I knock some sense into this dumbass, I'll let you know that Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters.**

**Me: Yeah, by the way, from about the middle of the chapter on, it's just sortof a crack-fic. Yeah, Cookie Crisp Cereal and me don't mix ^^  
**

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Seven: Celebration

You were only able to look at Near with a shocked expression, at a complete loss for words.

After a few moments of being mentally paralyzed, you snapped out of it. "N-Near…how do you plan on doing this?"

"I always have a plan, do I not?" he said, still remaining vague about his plans.

"Let's go visit an old friend."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once again, you found yourself at the familiar safe in the strange part of the SPK headquarters. Near went to the last box in the third row, once again pulling out that little black book of death.

Near held out the Death Note to you, and you cautiously placed your palm on it. Mello slunk his hand into yours, giving it a tight squeeze. "I don't like this," he mumbled, but you smiled reassuringly.

"Hello, Shinigami, we need your assistance yet again," Near greeted to Sidoh. Sidoh only snorted, pointing a long, claw-like finger in Mello and Matt's direction.

"And you said you didn't believe in ghosts, mafia girly."

You sighed, smiling warily. "Yeah, I know, you were right." Sidoh let out a cackle, turning back to Near.

"Yeah, so what was it you needed, Sheep?"

You stifled a laugh, but Mello felt free to roar in laughter, clutching his sides. Near narrowed his eyes a bit before holding up the Death Note with three fingers. "Shinigami, this is a notebook in which the person's name written inside will die, correct?"

"Can't you read? It says '_Death _Note', Mr. Oblivious," Sidoh said sarcastically.

Near ignored the comment and moved right along in the subject matter.

"Now since the death note can kill a person…is it possible for there to be something similar that does the opposite?"

You felt a gasp escape your lips. "Near…are you implying…a notebook that brings things to life?"

Near nodded slowly, keeping his stare at the Shinigami. Sidoh backed up a little nervously, looking at the stares from everyone in the room.

"Well? Is there?" Near persisted.

"U-Us Shinigami are forbidden to speak of it! The damn thing is contradictive to our job!" Sidoh said, his voice strained and high pitched.

Near smirked. "So there _is _such a thing. Stupid Shinigami, you gave yourself away."

Sidoh groaned. "Friggin' Sheep…Yeah, whatever, it exists."

"Tell us more," Near said impatiently.

Sidoh sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's called the Life Note, completely different from the Death Note. It's more difficult, though. You can only write the name of a spirit who didn't cross over, and they will _only_ come back if you write the person's name on their death date."

You stared in disbelief at Sidoh, unbelieving such an amazing thing existed. "S-So, does that mean I can…?"

Near turned to you, smiling genuinely. "I told you I had a plan."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You lay down on the couch back in your motel room, staring at the ceiling. _I still don't believe it…,_ you thought. The news struck you like a freight train, and you were so overwhelmed you couldn't even express your happiness.

"What's the matter? Aren't you glad? There's a way for us to come back! You should be jumping off the walls! Or in my case, going through them…," Matt said, floating over you.

"Matt, I am happy. _Unbelievably _happy. I guess I'm just…a little taken by surprise with all this." Matt frowned, now floating towards the kitchen.

"You're so stiff! But I know just the thing that will loosen you up!" Matt said happily, now searching through the cabinets.

When Matt came back from the kitchen, in his hands were three bottles of Sake.

"M-Matt, I don't drink alcohol," you protested, and Mello's head peeked out of his room at the sound of the word 'alcohol.'

"Matt, no drinking. You know better, with your low tolerance."

Matt rolled his eyes, opening the first bottle. "I'll be fine." He drank from the bottle, gulfing down half of its contents. He heaved a huge sigh when he was done, a wild look in his eyes.

This was the only calm you got before the storm.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

About half an hour later, you walked sleepily into your room, Mello sneaking behind you. Mello ran in and flopped down on the bed just moments before you did so that he caught you in his arms.

"Oh, thank you, Knight in Shining Armor, for saving me from lying down," you said sarcastically.

Mello rested his hands on the small of your back, pulling you closer to him. He made a sort of humming sound of contentment, and closed his eyes to sleep. You smiled; nuzzling best you could into his form without going through him completely.

_Grunt, Grunt._

The moment was ruined by the odd sounds coming from underneath the bed. "What the hell is that?" you asked, lifting your head. Mello nearly smacked his palm to the side of your head, pushing it back down to rest again as a silent command of 'Ignore it.'

_Grunt, Grunt._

"Mello, that's not the normal sounds a bed makes," you said, crawling to the edge of the bed to investigate.

Leaning over the edge of the bed, you looked underneath into the darkness to see two goggled eyes staring at you.

"RAWR, I'm going to rape you."

"What the fu-"

Before you could finish, Matt leapt out from under the bed, flailing his arms wildly. He jumped in and out of the floor, much like a dolphin, laughing madly out of the room.

His bare butt cheeks flapped in the wind.

"………..G-Good G-G-God…..Matt's drunk and n-naked….."

"Um……Yeahh….."

"C-Can we never speak of this again?"

Mello shook his head, a look of outrage on his face. "Are you kidding?! If anything, I want to _videotape _every moment of this for future blackmail!"

And so, you unwillingly followed Mello in pursuit of Matt, very, very afraid of what was next.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was two hours before Matt stopped his drunken rampage. In that time, he had succeeded in dancing around with your bra on, knocking down all the lamps, and peeing in the sink. All this was done, as a beautiful sight for your eyes, naked.

You now sat on the floor with Mello, out of breath, watching a passed out Matt snore on the floor. Mello was at least kind enough to cover him with a sheet.

"…Remind me to never _ever _let Matt have a drink again…," you said between puffs. Mello nodded in agreement, holding a slightly dented pan in his hand, a video camera in the other.

Mello smirked, flipping the video camera in his hand. "His wedding day will be one of the best damn days of my life."


	8. Act Eight: Valentine

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**Mello: Jesus, Matt, what the _hell _got into you last chapter?**

**Matt: What ever do you mean, dearest Mello? What is this "last chapter" you speak of?**

**Mello: Don't try and ignore it. It happened, _and _on tape! You're really in the crapper now-**

**Matt: IT DOESN'T EXIST! YOU HEAR ME?! THERE WAS NO LAST CHAPTER!**

**Me: Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Matt. By the way, Matt fangirls, "The Adventures of Nekked Matto" is now on sale in my Childhood Innocence merchandise store for $11.95!**

**Matt: WAT**

**Mello: You have a merchandise store? Since when?! And furthermore, wouldn't that be dangerously close to selling pornogra-**

**Me: EVERYTHING IS LEGAL, I SWEAR!**

**Mello: Yeah....anyway, Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters.**

**Me: Oh wow, yeah, there's a LOT of song references in this chapter, so I guess it's like a crack/song fic. I can't list them all, but I do not own any songs featured in this chapter either!**

**Mello: Wait...I'm reading, and what the hell is this about-**

**Me: Oh yeah, MELLO GETS HIS SEXY ON *drools*  
**

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Eight: Valentine

Weeks passed by quickly, and you became used to living with Mello and Matt again, despite the strange circumstances. You missed your little "family", and if having them back in spirit form wasn't enough, all that had to be done was to wait until January 26 came around again.

You now stood over the stove, flipping pancakes for yourself. Mello sauntered into the kitchen, stretching as he walked.

"Morning," he greeted, poking the finished pancakes on the plate. "How nice of you to think of me and make breakfast, love."

"Those aren't for you; you can't eat. Ghost, remember? I don't want chunks of pancake scattered across my floor," you snapped, pulling the plate away from him.

Mello sighed, poking his stomach. "This is hell. I can't even have chocolate anymore!"

"It's only a little over a year until you're back. So just try to manage, ok?" you said comfortingly, flipping over another pancake. Mello's eyes wandered around the kitchen aimlessly, but stopped dead in their tracks on the calendar that hung on the fridge.

"What month is it?" he asked, eyes widening a bit.

"February."

"And what day is it?" he asked, eyes widening more.

"Umm, I think the 14th," you said with no reaction. Mello gave you a confused look. "Don't you know what today is?"

"February 14th?"

"I mean Valentine's Day, stupid!"

"Oh," you said almost emotionlessly, turning off the stovetop. "Well, have a good one." With that, you picked up your plate and flopped down on the couch, flipping through channels on the T.V.

Mello stood in front of you in an attempt to block your view, but you didn't flinch. "I can still see through, you know," you said with a slight smirk.

Mello growled, snatching the remote from your hands and shutting the T.V. off. He then proceeded to toss the poor remote out the third story window, where you heard it smash into pieces as it hit the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" you screamed, leaning halfway out the window to see what was left of the remote lying helplessly on the ground.

Mello only chuckled a bit before coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around your shoulders. "It's Valentine's Day, so you have the rare opportunity to boss me around for a day," he cooed in your left ear.

"Ok then…buy me a new T.V. remote!" Mello frowned in disbelief at your request. "But you're a girl! You're supposed to like things like flowers and chocolate on Valentine's Day, preferably lots of chocolate! Also, you could boss me around for any sort of romantic shit, and you choose to ask for a T.V. remote?! What kind of logic is this?!"

"My logic is flawless!" you protested, shaking Mello off of you. "And since when do girls have to be so frilly?"

"Don't tell me I'm in love with a lesbian."

"If I was, you'd be the woman in the relationship."

Mello was steaming, his face turning red with rage. You only smiled triumphantly, marching victoriously to finish your breakfast. "Once a uke, always a uke, Mello."

Mello lunged out at you, pinning you to the floor. You struggled under his grasp, laughing at his immaturity. "Now," he seethed. "You're going to tell me what you friggin' want for friggin' Valentine's Day, and it _can't _be a stupid T.V. remote!"

You sighed, smiling up at him. "Fine, fine." You thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Ok, I want you to sing for me!"

"_Fuck_. No."

"You said anything, Mello! You brought this on yourself."

Mello sighed, sitting on your stomach. You tried crawling away, but he had you pinned down well. "…..What song?"

You smirked. "I'm thinking something along the lines of Hips Don't Lie, _and _you have to interpret dancing somewhere in there."

"You _witch_!"

You laughed, leaning forward quickly and planting a small kiss to the part of his stomach revealed by his vest. You blew hard, making a sort of farting sound, and Mello fell backwards, as though he were stunned from this loving attack.

"S-Stop that!" he stuttered.

"You've got an hour, Mel. Good luck!"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You lay back in your bed, enjoying a box of truffles Matt had stolen for you for Valentine's Day. Of course, he freaked everyone out with the whole "Dear God there's a flying box!" scenario, but it was the thought that counted.

Matt came floating into your room, swatting his palms through your head. "Matt, what do you want?" you complained.

"You better come to the living room, quick, or you're gonna miss it!"

You followed Matt to the living room, hearing a faint sound of music. It grew louder and louder, and you even began to hear lyrics.

_Ladies up in here tonight_

_No fighting, No fighting_

_We got the refugees up in here_

_No fighting, No fighting_

_Shakira Shakira!_

Mello stood in the middle of the living room, a scowl worn on his reddened face. "You better _fucking _enjoy this!" he warned, placing his hands on his hips. The next time he opened his mouth, he began singing.

"_I never really knew that she could dance like this,_

_She makes a man want to speak Spanish._

_Como se llama, si, bonita, si, mi casa, su casa…"_

The Spanish flowed flawlessly from his lips, his voice surprisingly soothing. He swayed his hips from side to side, running his hands around his waist and turning in slow circles. You bit your bottom lip, struggling to keep quiet.

"_Oh baby, when you talk like that,_

_You make a woman go mad_

_Se be wise, and keep on_

_Reading the signs of my body…"_

Mello suddenly "dropped it like it's hot" as Matt would say, slinking to the floor. On the way back up, he shook his entire body from right to left, even forward to back. Matt jumped in as a backup dancer, humping the air and thrusting out his hips.

"_And I'm on tonight,_

_You know my hips don't lie_

_And I'm starting to feel it's right_

_All the attraction, the tension_

_Don't you see baby, this is perfection…"_

Mello smirked, turning off the music player and stopping his little performance. You sat completely still, biting furiously at your bottom lip.

"Well?" Mello cooed, leaning down so that he was at your eye level.

"…F…..FF…..FFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!"

Mello backed up, quirking a brow. "Fffft?"

You shot upwards, slamming your lips into his. You then ran away, slamming the door to your room and threatening that if anyone came in, they would feel the wrath of a very hormonal girl.

Mello smiled, running his fingers over his lips gently. "Hmm…Maybe I should sing more often."

Matt's jaw dropped in horror. "_Excuse me?! _I believe it's established that I am the great and talented performer in this joint."

Mello rolled his eyes. "You're being selfish, dumbass. Don't be jealous I'm better."

Matt smiled evilly, bearing his canines. "Is that a challenge? A _sing-off, _perhaps?!"

Mello couldn't resist a challenge. "You're on."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You were curled up in your bed, the covers over your head. "Mmph…I should've never asked if I knew he was _that _good!" you mumbled.

You rested your head on your pillow, about to fall asleep, when the door to your room nearly exploded open, Mello and Matt scrambling inside.

"HARMONY!" they shouted at the same time.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU GUYS?!"

"S-Sorry, but Mello challenged me to a sing-off, and we need a judge! You can't play favorites with Mello, though, just because you get freaky all ni-"

"MATT, YOU'RE A PERV!!!" you shouted, reaching for anything to throw. Matt swatted his palms through your head, attempting to stop your violence. You sighed, leaning back against the headboard of the bed.

"Just start already…Matt, you're first."

Matt grinned, taking in a deep breathe.

"_Shut up, and sleep with me, c'mon, why don't you sleep with me! Shut up, and sleep with me, c'mon, why don't you sleep with me!"_

Mello glared, taking in a breathe of his own.

"_Let's have some fun, this beat is sick. I wanna take a ride on your disco stick. Don't think too much, just bust that kick! I wanna take a ride on your disco-"_

"_You and me, baby, we ain't nothing but mammals, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery channel-"_

"_I won't he-si-tate, no more, no more. It can-not wait, I'm yours-"_

"_Do you like waffles? Yeah we like waffles! Do you like Pancakes? Yeah we like pan-"_

"_I WANNA FUCK YOU LIKE AN ANIMAL; I WANNA FEEL YOU FROM THE INSIDE!"_

"…….."

"….Dude, Mello, what the hell?"

"Um…s-sorry….."

You sat still on the bed, saying absolutely nothing, most likely because you barely had any idea what possibly happened. Mello and Matt looked at you accusingly, awaiting an answer of who had won.

"Um….how about both of you lose? Because I'm still trying to figure out what I just witnessed."

Mello groaned, rolling his eyes and sitting next to you on the bed. "Whatever, doesn't matter, anyway."

"Yes it does!" Matt sobbed, floating sadly to his room. "I won, I tell you!"

You lay back, closing your eyes, glad all the weirdness was over. Mello leaned over, running his fingers through strands of your hair.

"Mello, why do you guys insist on annoying me?" you said, exhausted. "What if I asked you to leave me be for Valentine's Day?"

Mello rested his head in the crook of your neck, breathing deeply. "That is something I cannot comply with."

You rested your chin gently on top of his head, sighing. "Alright…This is one time I was hoping you wouldn't listen."

"Happy Valentine's Day, witch."

"Happy Valentine's Day, uke."


	9. Act Nine: Private Affairs

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Me: Near, I just want to say I am SO Sorry ;___;**

**Near: And why is that? Also, where is Mello and Matt?**

**Me: I had to get rid of them. Right now, they don't know about this chapter. ;__;**

**Near: I'm beginning to worry. What exactly did you do?**

**Me: *SOBS* I AM SO GOING TO REGRET THIS CHAPTER. SO MUCH DRAMA! It's like a one-shot, I guess....**

**Near: Now I'm afraid... o.o**

**Me: Uh, on the bright side, sales of "The Adventures of Nekked Matto" have shot up by 1000%! So many copies sold! ^///^**

**Near: For every copy sold, Matt dies a little on the inside.**

**Me: OH SHUT UP.**

**Near: Make me.**

**Me: "Kinky Legos: Near's Night in Paradise" is now on sale for $12.50! HA, STICK THAT IN YOUR JUICEBOX AND SUCK IT!  
**

**Near: -_- Anyway, Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters.  
**

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Nine: Private Affairs

The next morning, you woke up halfway off the bed, at risk of falling to the floor. Mello slept soundly with his limbs sprawled out across the bed, leaving you no room. He had his quirks, sure, but his sleeping habits were beginning to get on your nerves.

"Mello!" you whispered, shoving his shoulder. "Wake up! I've got no room!"

Mello groaned, opening one eye to look at you. "What do you want?"

You pressed your cheek into his shoulder, sighing. "For once, I would like to get a full night's sleep without falling off the bed."

You turned over, staring at the clock. "…but it's no use now, anyway. I've got work. Maybe I'll make it on time for once today."

Mello grabbed your arm, hugging it tightly. "Don't go to work today. When you're in the hands of that little white freak, I never know if you'll make it back," he whined. You shook him away, heading for your closet to change.

"Mello, I can't skip. How do you think I afford to live here? Not only that, but you guys just add to my expenses."

Mello frowned, grasping your hand again. "Then I'm coming."

You sighed. _It's like trying to reason with a spoiled kid, _you thought. "Mello, can you stay home today? I need someone to watch over the place, anyway. I mean, even though Matt wrote in jam on the wall, I've still been on edge about safety in here."

Matt floated lazily into the room on his back, yawning. "Why am I always blamed for everything? I didn't mess up your wall."

You lifted your eyebrow, confused. "It wasn't you? That's weird…do you think maybe I attracted more than one ghost after me?" you said, laughing.

It was a strange mystery, but you pushed it aside. If you made it out the door now, you might actually be on time.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You pushed open the doors to the SPK investigation room, a wild smile spread across your face. "Near!" you shouted. "LOOK! I'M ACTUALLY ON TIME TODA-"

You stopped dead in your tracks when you saw the room was empty for everyone except the said albino.

"Hey, where is everyone?" you inquired, setting your things down on your work desk. Near sighed, twirling his hair from habit.

"Well, I called everyone today to let them know that there were no cases, so they could stay home. I was going to call you three hours later than everyone else, however, seeing as you're always late. I suppose luck is not on your side, since you chose today of all days to be _on time."_

You felt your heart drop. "So it doesn't count?"

"No."

"Aw, damn it…"

You sighed, sitting in your chair with a pout. "Should I just go home, then?"

Near was silent for a moment in thought. "Well, I don't know, it's up to you. However, if you like, I have to run some errands, and it would be appreciated if you came along."

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"No."

"I thought so."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Near was like a kid in a candy store, and he certainly looked the part as he walked through the Toys isle of Wal-Mart, looking up and down the tall shelves.

"_This_ is your 'errands' you had to run?" you said in annoyance, struggling to balance the bags of toys you carried for Near in your arms. Near was almost unresponsive; most of his attention was focused on choosing which color car he wanted, or what type of robot was more suitable.

When you finally followed Near to the checkout counter, you felt as though your arms were going to fall off at any moment. You almost threw all the toys onto the conveyer belt, heaving a sigh.

"E-Excuse me?" the nervous female clerk asked. She couldn't have been over 16; most likely this was her first job. "A-Are you sure you're old enough for a credit card? O-Or you're young enough to be 20? I-I mean, I don't know….white hair, but so short and baby-faced…."

Near frowned, narrowing his eyes. "I _am _twenty, miss. And I certainly am old enough to have a credit card."

"Are you sure about that, though? I mean, it's illegal to-"

"May I speak to your manager, please?"

You put your hand over your mouth, trying to hold in your laughter. _Wow, it's amazing how fussy Near gets when it comes to toys. _You took a deep breathe, and decided to help out the poor, misunderstood boy.

"It's ok, Near, I got it," you said, opening your wallet. _Though it's a huge bite out of my budget…_

The clerk accepted your card with no questions asked, much to your enjoyment. You paid quickly, carrying the heavy Wal-Mart bags full of toys. Near followed suit, silently sulking in defeat.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You pressed your nose to the window of the limo, watching as you passed by countless cars on the freeway.

"Near, I'm pretty sure this isn't the way to SPK headquarters. Where are we going now?"

"You'll see. I wouldn't let your assistance go unrewarded, would I?" he said vaguely. You scrunched your nose in suspicion, expecting to fall into another trap. You watched out the window as the limo pulled up to what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

"This is the Yellow Box, somewhat famous as the place I put a stop to Kira," Near said in monotone. You felt your jaw drop, getting out of the limo slowly.

"Wow, Near…But what are we doing here?" you asked curiously, walking up to the entrance. Near held onto the doorknob, but not opening the door just yet.

"Well, I recall back in Wammy's you mentioning snow was your favorite weather. Since I bought this place, but had really no important use for it…."

Near turned the doorknob and opened the door, holding it for you.

"I turned it into this."

A cold wind hit your cheeks, blowing your hair away from your face. Your eyes widened at what was before you.

"No. Fucking. _Way! _Near, you _didn't! _This is absolutely amazing!"

Near had turned the entire Yellow Box into a winter wonderland, complete with indoor snow and a small ice skating rink on the side.

You felt Near drape a coat best he could on your shoulders. "I told you there was a reward."

You grabbed onto the albino's arm, tugging him into the snow with you. You dived into the snow, rolling around with laughter.

You took a deep breathe, lying in the snow with Near sitting beside you. "Wow, this is just…it's fantastic! I'm speechless!"

The corners of Near's lips tugged upward in a shy smile. "If you like it, then I'm….that's good."

You smirked. "C'mon Near, just admit you can _feel_, that you're glad. I always knew you weren't that robotic. Still, why go through all this trouble? I'm nothing special."

Near sighed, twirling his hair again.

"Everyone has always ignored me, claiming just as you do, that I was 'robotic', or that because of my genius I thought I was 'better' than they were. Even in Wammy's. But I always remembered you never did that, and went out of your way to include me….So, I made it my mission to go out of my way and return the favor."

You smiled, touched by his words. "That's sweet, Near. You're a great friend."

Near turned to you, a glint in his eyes. "I'm not finished yet…Also, you say you're nothing special, but I beg to differ. You are very much different from the idiots I see constantly in my life…considering you're still an idiot, but nonetheless…"

You scoffed, but quickly quieted, letting him continue.

"….nonetheless, I have always seen you as someone who had stood out. Someone who for once cared and noticed me, and….I c-care for you."

Your heart stopped. It was the first time you had ever heard Near stutter; the first time you witnessed deep emotion in him. You were confused, unsure by what exactly his words meant. In your mind, you prayed he was stuttering from the cold, and his red cheeks were from jumping in snow.

"M-Miss Harmony, I care deeply for you, though I may not be good at showing it. Mello may not be aware, but he _did _beat me in something. If it were not for Mello, I….."

_Oh my God, no…_

Near stopped talking, and leaned down to cup your face in his cold hands. He pressed his lips clumsily against yours only for a second before moving away, face flushed. He observed your expression carefully his eyes widening considerably.

_He looks…regretful; almost scared…_

"……."

"…..I-I'm terribly sorry….I do not know what-"

"Please, Near."

He shut up immediately, eyes glued to you. Both of you sat in the snow, the cold of both the silence and of the atmosphere engulfing you both.

You got up wordlessly, heading to the limo, Near following from a distance.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The limo ride was long and painful, the gleeful aura from before now long lost. When the car stopped in front of your motel, you sat in the car for a good five minutes.

"….Near."

He looked at you; it was the first word you had said to him in hours.

"Today never happened."

"Correct."

And so, you got out of the car and entered your building, labeling today as utter taboo. Life would go on normally; what Mello didn't know _would_ hurt him, but you locked it away, for both your sake and his.


	10. Act Ten: Mission Impossible

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**Me: Ok, first of all, I would like to give a personal thanks to some of my favorite reviewers who have been with Childhood Innocence since the start: RavenFire40, Josephine_Falnor, FranFictionx, and DeathNoteSQUEAL. Since the majority of you are Matt fans, I am dedicating this chapter to you. Finally, a chapter told from Matt's POV! ^^**

**Mello: Don't be disappointed if there's nothing going on in that empty skull of his.**

**Matt: *sobs* WHATEVER. I HAVE MORE FANGIRLS THAN YOU, OKAY? I love you, _ladies~_**

**Me: DON'T BE A PEDOFILE AND SCARE OFF MY REVIEWERS.**

**Matt: Psh, you kidding? If anything, I will use my Ladies-Man powers to attract _more _reviewers!**

**Mello: HA, this chapter begs to differ, in which Matt utterly fails in understanding dating and the trick of the trade.**

**Matt: WHAT**

**Me: Poor, poor, clueless Matt.. '^^ Hehe...**

**Matt: I hate you -_-**

**Me: No you don't, now do the disclaimer. I mean, it _is _your chapter anyway.**

**Matt: Fine....Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters.  
**

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Ten: Mission Impossible

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and before you knew it, it was March. Spring was in full bloom, flowers opening their buds to greet the world with beauty. Birds sang and bees delivered pollen….

And yes, the pollen. All the more a reason for Matt to refuse to leave the house.

"Maaaaattttt," you whined. "It's so beautiful outside! C'mon!"

Matt shook his head, burying his face into the screen of his gameboy. He had finally become bored of flying, and he rekindled his love for playing games, much to your distaste.

"You know, at least when you would float, you were in reality," you snapped, clawing desperately at the screen. Matt was quick in his reflexes, dodging every one of your attacks perfectly.

You sighed, giving up on the avid gamer. You sulked into Mello's room, crawling onto the bed where he lay, staring at the ceiling.

"If you're bored, I have an idea for a great day out," you tempted. Mello grunted, turning away from you. "I think I'll take Matt's incentive and stay inside."

"Alright," you said, shrugging it off. "I'll just call Near and see if he's got anything to do."

"…..You sure know how to push buttons, you know that?" Mello said, pulling himself up from the bed.

You smiled, tugging him by the arm out the door.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt looked up from his game. _Hmm? How long have I been here?_ He knew he always spaced out when he was playing games, but he felt like he lost track of time for too long.

"Hey, guys?" he called out, getting up from his spot in the corner. "Hellooo? Anyone home?"

_Silence._

"Aw, they left me," he said with a pout. He sighed, walking to the kitchen and opening the fridge, searching for a quick snack.

_Psh…nothing but health food. Not that I can eat anyway…_ Matt patted his flat stomach and abs, breathing deeply. _Skinny, with no build at all…hell, no wonder Mello managed to snag a girly. I mean, even with his feminine looks and temper, he's still ahead._

Matt turned his attention to the window, watching the sun shine brightly through the trees. _Maybe if I look for those two, I can see what his trick is…_

Matt clenched his fist in determination, putting his gameboy in his pocket. _Alright, I'll spy on their date and learn the ropes! Believe i- Oh, gross, Narutard alert…_

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

Matt hummed "Secret Agent Man" as he dodged from tree to tree, quick on Mello and your tail. _Hrm…nothing interesting. Just holding hands and sappy shit._

Matt stared at his gloved hand, opening and closing it slowly. He spotted some random girl, and ran over, slinking his hand into hers. "GAH!! What the hell?!" she shrieked, shaking her arm violently.

_Oh, right…the whole invisible-to-other- people thing, _he thought in disappointment. He continued to follow you and Mello, making sure to keep a fair distance.

He watched as you entered a nice looking candy shop calmly, letting the door close slowly on purpose to give Mello enough time to come in. He wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you close.

_Clinginess is good? _Matt walked swiftly to the candy shop, staring through the glass into it. Matt eyed a girl who walked past, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Love me!" he said happily, but the girl screamed.

"R-RAPIST! WH-WHO'S THERE?!" she yelled, swatting her hands behind her head and smacking Matt in the face. "Ow!" he cried, releasing his grip. The girl twirled in circles in a panic before running away. Matt scratched the back of his head, confused.

_Erm…maybe not the brightest idea… _His attention snapped back to the candy store as he saw you purchase something.

_What __**is **__that?! A bowl full of shit? Oh, it's chocolate mousse._

He saw you take the bowl to go, putting it in a box tied with a string. Then, with Mello in tow, you walked towards the exit, sending Matt soaring under a table where two women and a Chihuahua were sitting.

The women shrieked as their table shook for no apparent reason, and the Chihuahua began barking at this strange invisible force. "SHH!" Matt commanded at the annoying dog, who only barked louder.

Frustrated, Matt grasped the dog's leash, tugging at it gently. "Please, shut up, you rat!"

The Chihuahua began barking so hard, it shook. Finally, Matt had had enough.

He picked up the dog by it's throat, shaking it violently. "SHUT. UP. YOU. STUPID. DOG!"

The women at the table looked underneath to see what looked like their Chihuahua floating and choking.

"OH MY GOD, MY DOG IS THE SPAWN OF SATAN!" one of the women shrieked, escaping from the table with her friend in tow.

"Wait, what?!" Matt protested, but they were gone. He looked from the path the women ran down to the coughing dog stumbling on the floor.

"Damn…friggin' dog…"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt had a lot of ground to make up; he was already a block and a half behind you and Mello, and now he was unwillingly traveling with a new, annoying companion.

The Chihuahua just walked beside the annoyed gamer, barking nonstop. _Damn rat! What are you, magic?! How the hell can you see me anyway?! Go back to Mexico!_

Matt sighed. _This is exactly why I don't go outside. What the hell did I get myself into?_

Finally, after much speed walking, which felt like the most exercise he had done in his life, he caught up to you and Mello. The both of you were in a park…no, a Cherry Blossom Tree field.

_Ok…so, what, girls like to sneeze?_ Matt put a palm over his mouth and nose, disgusted by how much pollen filled the air. He followed diligently as you and Mello walked to the far end of the field, unoccupied by everyone.

Matt knelt behind a tree, holding the dog's snout like a muzzle to keep him from barking. He watched as you opened the box with the chocolate mousse, taking out a spoon.

_Psh…Wow, Harmony, you're so stupid, you forgot the other spoon, _he thought, believing himself to be much smarter than that. He gasped suddenly as he watched you take a spoonful and take a bite, repeating the action later except feeding it to Mello. Mello closed his eyes with delight, only to watch as the spoonful slowly went through him and fell to the floor.

Mello frowned, but you went into a giggling fit, dipping the spoon into the chocolaty treat. _I see…girls like to laugh at your misery._

Matt had a sharp intake of breathe at what he watched next. You took another spoonful, holding it between yourself and Mello with a smirk. You whispered something, and next thing he knew, Mello was smirking deviously too. You leaned in, licking one side of the spoon, and Mello licking the other.

_O-Oh my, _Matt thought as he watched you both veer away from the spoon. The spoon was blocking it, but he was pretty sure you both met somewhere in the middle.

_Note to self: Bring big spoon. That way, our faces won't clash! Problem solved!_ Matt thought triumphantly as though he were the smartest person in the world.

_Mello's got it all wrong, but I'll learn from his mistakes so I know what __**not **__to do!_

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

Matt sighed, swinging back and forth in a swing. You and Mello were nearing the end of your date, and to finish it off, both of you had walked to the small park by your motel. Matt was trying to pay attention to you and Mello, but he was more involved in keeping an eye out for 40 year old mothers with juice boxes.

_What terrible memories this place brings…why the hell would they come here?_

Matt sighed. He was really beginning to question yours and Mello's logic. To him, this date had been a total disaster.

_Oh well, their loss is my gain._

Matt was about to try and get closer to you and Mello, who were sitting on a bench simply talking, when he noticed cynical laughter coming from the park entrance.

Matt stopped swinging when he noticed a boy, most likely no older than twelve, wielding a DS in hand, laughing at a younger boy in tears over his own DS. Matt could hear the faint sound of Pokemon Diamond playing from the distance.

"Ha! Your Pokemon suck! My Bulbasoar is only level thirty, and it _still _beat your level seventy Chimchar!" the boy cackled.

"YOU!" Matt seethed. "I _remember _you! You're that damn cheater! My precious Charizard was never the same!"

Matt thought for a moment before smiling evilly. He whistled just loud enough so that Mello and Harmony wouldn't hear. "Pssst! Devil dog! Come here, little rat! I've got a job for you!"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Me: LULZ, I'm imagining this chapter sparking a tidal wave of MattxChihuahua fanfics. xDDD**


	11. Act Eleven: Deal

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Mello: Isn't this a repeat chapter of Act Ten?**

**Me: NO, this time you see what happened between Harmony and Mello. Plus, something happy happens ^///^**

**Mello: Yeah, but the general idea is-**

**Me: STFU, IT'S DIFFERENT. Meh, I just hope I didn't make it too sappy. You know, I hate writing like it's a cliche... ;___;**

**Mello: I bet you did. You're an utter failure.**

**Me: *SOBS***

**Matt: IT'S OKAY, MELLO'S JUST IN THAT TIME OF THE MONTH. IGNORE HIM! :D**

**Mello: WHAT DID YOU SAY?!**

**Me: Oh, leave Mattie alone. But, umm...sorry Matt, but once again you failed to get the mood in this chapter '^^**

**Matt: WTF, I AM LIKE THE KING OF GETTING BABES, BUT YOU MAKE ME SEEM SO CLUELESS.**

**Me: Sorry, but don't worry! On the bright side, sales of "The Adventures of Nekked Matto" beat out sales of "Kinky Legos: Nears Night in Paradise" by over a million!  
**

**Matt: ;3;**

**Mello: LOLOL, WHO WOULD BUY THAT SHIT? THAT'S DISGUSTING.**

**Me: Actually, Near got a total of two sales, one from anonymous *coughYOUKNOWWHOYOUAREcough*, and another to a hobo. Who used it as a backscratcher. And then threw it.**

**Mello: AHAHAAA, PITIFUL! I MEAN, EVEN I COULD DO BETTER!**

**Me: "Chocolate Thrust: Mellolicious" IS NOT FOR SALE. TIS FOR MY EYES ONLY! GRRRR. Ahh, the wonders of hidden security cameras.... 3**

**Mello and Matt: o.o Erm...Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters, but we are very afraid.....  
**

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Eleven: Deal

"Maaaaattttt," you whined. "It's so beautiful outside! C'mon!"

Matt shook his head, burying his face into the screen of his gameboy. He had finally become bored of flying, and he rekindled his love for playing games, much to your distaste.

"You know, at least when you would float, you were in reality," you snapped, clawing desperately at the screen. Matt was quick in his reflexes, dodging every one of your attacks perfectly.

You sighed, giving up on the avid gamer. You sulked into Mello's room, crawling onto the bed where he lay, staring at the ceiling.

"If you're bored, I have an idea for a great day out," you tempted. Mello grunted, turning away from you. "I think I'll take Matt's incentive and stay inside."

"Alright," you said, shrugging it off. "I'll just call Near and see if he's got anything to do."

"…..You sure know how to push buttons, you know that?" Mello said, pulling himself up from the bed.

You smiled, tugging him by the arm out the door.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You had to admit, it really was beautiful out. The weather seemed to be just perfect, and for once, things were going your way. Mello had grasped onto your hand firmly, and you were absolutely content.

"So, where exactly do you plan on going?" he wondered, staring at the cloudless sky. You shrugged, holding his hand tighter. "Never really planned that out. It'll take some work, going out in public without attracting stares, but still. I guess where to go can be your choice."

Mello thought for a moment before he smiled. "I know just the place."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mello tugged you along for blocks before reaching his destination.

"A candy shop? But you know you can't eat, Mello!" you protested, but he nudged you in the ribs. "It's worth a try. Besides, I'm craving chocolate worse than a pregnant woman, and _you're _gonna get some for me."

You laughed at his remark before agreeing, opening the door widely and slowly so that Mello could enter with ease. You leaned up against the counter, looking at the different choices. "Well, what do you want?"

Mello's eyes were gleaming. "S-So many chocolaty wonders…B-But I'll settle for the chocolate mousse."

You sighed, telling the store clerk what your order was. She quickly packaged it in a box to go, tying it up with a red string. Thanking her, you walked towards the exit, Mello latched around your waist.

"I love you, you know that?"

"No you don't, you love the chocolate in my hands. So I suggest you make wise choices today or the mousse gets it," you threatened.

Mello smirked, holding your waist tighter so that you had to lean into him for balance. "You know, to people who can't see you, it looks like I'm walking sideways."

"I know. You're welcome for the stares."

"Yeah…thanks…"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mello had tugged you along for what seemed like forever to you, and he smiled wide when he finally found what he was looking for. "This is the place," he said quietly, pointing at the huge spread of pink that was a Cherry Blossom Tree field.

"Why do I get the feeling you are slowly spiraling into gaydom?" you said, but Mello smacked you on the back of the head.

"I'm trying to do something here, so just play along, idiot." Mello dragged you through the field, passing by many lovers locking lips on the way. You tried to cover your eyes, but Mello only laughed at how childish you were being.

Finally, you both reached a secluded corner, free of the eyes of bystanders. "Ok, now hurry up and open the thing," Mello demanded, motioning towards the box. You sighed, opening the mousse and pulling out the spoon.

You took a tentative bite for yourself, smiling a bit at how good it tasted. "Not bad, right?" Mello said matter-of-factly. You rolled your eyes, taking in another spoonful and shoving it in his mouth. "Just enjoy your damn food."

Mello closed his eyes in pleasure, taking his time in swallowing the mouthful. He hummed in contentment to himself, and you scrunched your nose in disgust.

"This is like sex for you, isn't it?"

"You were great, but sorry to say chocolate's still number one."

You laughed heartily when the spoonful passed right through him, dropping on the floor. "That's what you get!"

He frowned, glaring at you. "Witch. This is why chocolate comes first."

Instead of lashing out at him, you decided to play his little teasing game. You dipped the spoon deep into the mousse, pulling it out so that it was dripping in fudge on both sides.

"Well, why not put both of your favorite things together?" you whispered.

Mello smirked, his blue eyes gleaming. "Hmm…kinky."

"Oh shut up."

You leaned in, licking one side of the spoon, and Mello taking the other. Slowly, you both veered away from the spoon, lips meeting in the middle. You pulled away after a good two minutes, your face a mess with fudge and the faint taste of chocolate lingering in your mouth. Mello smiled.

"You look like shit."

"You look like you ate shit."

You laughed a little, wiping at your face with a napkin and then cleaning Mello's. "So, where to next, Mello Wonka?"

Mello grinned, his eyes shining again, only with mischief. "I saved the best for last."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Home is your idea of 'best for last'?" you asked as the both of you passed the motel. "It's around here, stupid, so shut your trap for once!"

Mello dragged you a block away from the motel before finally stopping in front of an all too familiar place. "Remember this place?"

"Yeah," you breathed, looking around the park. It hadn't changed one bit, despite all the time that had passed by. You walked with Mello to a bench, sitting down with a sigh.

"You know, even though I live right here, I haven't been to this place in a long time. I guess because I get mixed feelings from it. It was one of our first dates, but the last place we went before…," you trailed off.

Mello sighed, throwing his arms over the back of the bench. "You shouldn't remember this place for the bad. It should be for the good, too. If you keep dwelling in the past, then where will your future go?"

You could only stare at Mello, amazed at how insightful he could be, and how much he made sense. "Ok, I promise to let go of the bad memories and look ahead from now on," you said, smiling brightly.

Mello gave a shy smile. "…Um, besides, I'll give you one more reason to think of this place in a good way…."

You scrunched your nose in confusion. "What do you mean by-?"

However, you stopped talking, because what Mello did next took your breathe away.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mello was down on one knee, awkwardly struggling to keep his balance. "Erm…yeah, I think you get the point of what I'm trying to ask…"

"M-Mello….," you breathed, feeling your eyes become damp with tears. Mello searched through his vest pockets, looking for something.

"As an added bonus, I will give you this ring if you say yes," he said while finally taking out a small, black box. "Lifetime warrantee and free returns, though I'm pretty sure you'll like it."

Mello held the box shakily in his hands, opening it to reveal a beautiful engagement ring with a black diamond gleaming at the top.

"_Holy fuck! _No offense, but where the _hell _did you get this, and how?!" you said, your jaw dropping. "You are aware black diamonds are one of the rarest in the world, and I'm pretty sure you're not made of money."

Mello smirked. "Must you be so skeptical? Let's just say one of my favorite quirks of being a ghost is being unseen by others."

"So you robbed a jewelry store? Well, I don't know whether to be flattered or outraged."

"Would you hurry up and tell me the answer?" Mello said impatiently. He had given up on trying to balance on one knee and settled for crouching before you.

"Absolutely not."

"WHAT?!?"

"Just kidding! It's a deal."

You couldn't help but blush at how his eyes shone with happiness. It was the happiest you have ever seen him, and you were extremely grateful that you were the cause of it.

Mello stood up and leaned in….

"HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW, BEYOTCH?"

Moment ruined.

Both you and Mello turned towards where the yells originated, eyes widening.

"Mello?"

"Yeah?"

"Please tell me that's not Matt making a Chihuahua piss all over some poor kid, that it's some other ghostly boy."

"If I did, I'd be lying."

"Oh, God…"

"MOMMY!" the boy cried, dropping his DS and running for his life. To him, it looked as though some cursed Chihuahua was floating after him, peeing all over his head. A strange voice continued to insult him, blabbering about something to do with a Charizard.

Matt had a wild grin on his face; he was having the time of his life. "Cheaters never prosper!" he yelled, enjoying every moment the boy yelped in fear.

"MATT, GET THE HELL OVER HERE."

"Ah, shit…"


	12. Act Twelve: Names

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**Me: *sobs* SORRY FOR THE WAIT FOR THE UPDATE! Gah now I fear I have lost all my precious reviewers and this story will rot in a corner ;__;**

**Matt: IT'S OK! TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER, MELLO WILL DO A DANCE.**

**Mello: Say wha?!?**

**Matt: *plays Hare Hare Yukai***

**Me: OOHH I just taught myself this! ^^ *dances***

**Mello: *loads gun***

**Me and Matt: o.o *runs***

**Mello: Ah, yes. Anyway, as far as the disclaimer goes, Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters.**

**Me: BTW, if you want a little really weird fact, I got the idea for this chapter from a dream o.o Except in the end we tested it....*sweats*....yeah I'm such perv o///o**

**Matt: o.o DUDE, TMI!!!!**

**Me: GET USED TO IT.  
**

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Twelve: Names

Matt sat uncomfortably, keeping his head down at the floor in shame. Both you and Mello stared daggers at him.

"Okay, let me get this straight," you said, placing your hands on your hips. "You saw the same boy that cheated you in Pokemon years ago, and decided to take revenge by making a Chihuahua pee on his head?"

Matt pressed his thumbs together nervously. "Y-Yeah…so?"

"What do you mean 'so'?! You not only made more of an idiot of yourself, if that was possible, but you just totally ruined something…important!" Mello yelled, his face turning red.

"What's more important that revenge?!"

"How about this?" you said, holding the back of your hand towards him.

"A rock?"

"DIAMOND, stupid!"

Matt registered everything for a moment before widening his eyes. "N-No way…Mello, you popped the question? I didn't think you had the balls to do it! AWESOME!" Matt cried, jumping on Mello and giving him a congratulatory bear hug.

"L-Let go….C-Can't breathe…," Mello struggled to spit out.

Matt grinned wide, turning now to you. "Congratulations, sweetheart," he said, kissing you on the cheek.

"Aw, thanks Matt."

Matt put his finger to his chin. "Wait, does this mean I'll be kicked out now?"

"YES!"

"No, Matt, you're just as much family as Mello is. You're _staying,_" you said, giving Mello a warning glance.

Matt grinned happily, pulling out his gameboy again. "So, tell me, how do you plan on celebrating? CAN WE THROW A PAR-"

"_No parties, _Matt."

Matt sighed, lying down on the floor with his hands behind his head as support. "Aw, you guys are no fun. At least in Wammy's you would let me try throwing a party, but now it's automatic rejection."

You froze automatically at the mention of the old orphanage, an idea forming in your head. "I know how to celebrate! Let's revisit the place where it all started!"

Mello scrunched his nose. "Revisit _Wammy's? _Why the hell would you want to go back to that shit-hole?"

You grinned wildly, wheels of thought turning. "Are you kidding? Some of my best memories are from there! Besides, I want to see how much it has changed. Poor Roger, I wonder if he's finally lost all his hair from stress."

You ran off to the phone, dialing Near's number. "Maybe Near will help us with means of travel!"

Mello clenched his fists. "Just so you know, I choose where the honeymoon is!"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Near sat amidst a pile of toys, poking the buttons on his robot. _I've always disliked weekends…no cases, no one here…_

Near jumped a little in surprise as the phone in his pocket rang. Picking it up with three fingers, he answered.

"This is Near."

"Hey, Near, how's it going?"

"Miss Harmony?" Near asked in a surprised tone.

"Yeah. Why so surprised I called?"

"Well, I just assumed that ever since the snow incident, you would cease speaking to me except for when it was called for at work."

"Don't be stupid, I wouldn't be _that _immature!"

Near let out a small sigh of relief. "Alright. Was there something you needed?"

"Yes, a plane."

"….Pardon?"

"You heard me, a plane! I want to go revisit Wammy's."

Near paused, still confused by your large request. "What makes you think I'll lend you a plane?"

"Because you'll be coming too! I mean, who else is going to be our financial provider?"

Near sighed. "So now I have lost all value of humanity, and I'm just a tool for transport and money?"

"To be blunt, yes, that's basically what we need you for, but you make it sound so terrible!"

"….The plane will be ready tomorrow at 6 a.m., not a moment later."

"I'll be on time!"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt bounced up and down impatiently in his window seat, grunting every five minutes in dissatisfaction.

"Harmony, are we there yet?" he whined. It took every nerve you had not to tape over his mouth right then and there.

"Matt, I've told you 35 times already in the past hour! _No, _we are not there yet, so just sit still or I will toss you out of this aircraft."

Matt sighed. "Well, can you get me peanuts? Actually, I think I gotta whiz…Oh wait, never mind. Hey Harmony, can you get me one of those pillow things? Helloooo, Harmony?!"

You rolled your eyes, turning away from the hopelessly bored boy and towards Mello on your other side. You lay your head on his shoulder, but he was rigid, staring heatedly at his most hated rival who sat facing him in front of his seat. Mello thought it a stupid design to make private planes have swivel chairs at the moment.

Near's gaze, however, was fixated on your hand. You noticed his stare and smiled fretfully. "U-Um, yes, Near, I forgot to mention….M-Mello and I are-"

"You needn't explain, I can see," he said, his tone surprisingly comforting. "Congratulations, I am truly happy for the both of you."

You stared blankly as Near smiled shyly. _Is he really…?_

"_Prepare for landing in 10 minutes," _the voice of the pilot said on the speaker.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"W-Wow, it hasn't changed a bit," you said almost breathlessly, staring up at the large building from your childhood.

You, Mello, Near, and Matt made your way to the orphanage entrance, feeling yourself skip along the way.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Y-You mean you don't remember?!" you cried, feeling on the verge of tears.

"N-No, please don't cry! I'm sure I remember you," Roger said nervously, silently cursing his fleeting memory. Near looked ready to facepalm, and Mello looked ready to choke the old man.

You sighed, slouching your shoulders depressingly. "I feel so insignificant…."

Roger sighed. "Sorry, dear, I can't really remember you as much as perhaps Near."

_Well, obviously. I guess being fourth isn't as much an accomplishment I thought it was_, you thought. "…Anyway, Roger, Near and I are here to revisit. Can we walk around? We promise not to interrupt classes."

Roger wiped sweat from his forehead, turning his attention to a mountain of papers on his desk. "Yes, yes. Do as you please, enjoy your time."

You and your group quietly exited his office, slightly dissatisfied. "Um, okay, where to first?"

Matt grinned brightly. "Let's go see me and Mello's old room! Rekindle memories!"

Near twirled his hair, his eyes shining slightly with something as well. "I would like to revisit somewhere as well…"

"Let me guess, the playroom?"

"Yes."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Near tried to keep composure as he entered his beloved playroom, not having changed terribly. In fact, the only changes were new additions to the toys, and that was a plus, if anything.

Near entered the room, searching for his beloved puzzle, when he discovered something terrible.

He stood over a brown-haired girl, absorbed in solving _his _puzzle. He winced as she grew frustrated and began forcibly shoving puzzle pieces together when they clearly did not belong. _She's going to bend the pieces out of shape like that…_

"You're going to break it," Near said in the silence, causing the girl to peer up at him.

"No I'm not! It's mine, so I can do whatever I want with it!"

"That is where you're wrong. That is mine."

"Nuh-uh! This is mine!"

"Incorrect."

"You're too old to be playing with puzzles anyway!"

"Give it to me…"

"What?!"

"Hand me the puzzle before your gorilla hands break it."

"N-No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"_Yes."_

You walked by the playroom on the way to your room and stopped, intrigued by a commotion from within. You sweatdropped when you saw Near bickering with a girl most likely 12 years younger than him over a puzzle.

"God, Near, you're even worse than an eight year old!" you said, trying to hold in a laugh. He only groaned, trying to catch the puzzle pieces the girl threw at him.

Leaving the playroom, you continued your journey down memory lane, towards the familiar Northern wing of Wammy's that housed your humble abode for so many years of your life.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You knocked subtly on the door only to find it creak open on its own. _Wow, no one has lived here even after all this time? _

Mello came in quietly after you, peering around the room. "Wow, it's just the same as before." He hugged your waist, tugging you delicately to the bed. It creaked under both your weight as Mello softly pushed you down, kissing you. Warm hands caressed your cheeks as you tangled your hands in his hair.

"Lady, why the hell are you licking the air?!"

Mello quickly rolled off you, landing on the floor and crawling under the bed. _Psh, stupid boy gets so panicked, and he's invisible anyway._

You looked up wide-eyed at a boy in tight jeans and a blue hoodie, his angry stare directed right at you. "Well? You high or something?!"

You smiled slightly, trying to ignore the blush that painted your cheeks. "E-Erm, no, I'm not high. I-Is this your room?"

The boy nodded, taking off the hood from his head to reveal a mop of light, wispy blonde hair. His eyes were a shock of light green, and he reminded you so much of…

"Hey, Lady, mind getting out?!" he shouted. You widened your eyes slightly to see tears brimming in his.

"Is something wrong? Did I make you…?"

"S-Shut up!! Get out of my room! I don't want to talk about Where- " The boy immediately slapped his palm over his mouth, realizing he had said too much.

"Where?" you asked, interested. He sighed, deciding the cat was out of the bag. "Where is a girl. She's first at Wammy's, and she _always _beats me. She makes sure to taunt me with how she beat me, even if just by a few points every day. So, yeah, it's hell."

The boy shoved his hands into his pockets, staring angrily at the carpet. You smiled, tears welling in your own eyes. Acting upon instinct, you grasped the boy and pulled him into a hug.

"Wha-What?!"

"L-Listen here…She may beat you, but that doesn't make you a loser. You could be the best thing in someone else's eyes, and if you let this rivalry overtake you, then it becomes an obsession…" You pulled away from the hug slightly to look in his eyes.

"Promise me you won't do anything drastic, ok?" you said softly, tears now falling freely.

"L-Lady? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Hey, Barely?" You heard a voice from the doorway and turned to see the same brown-haired girl from the playroom.

"Barely, who's she?" she said, frowning at how you still partially hugged him.

_How cute, she's probably jealous._ "Hi there, who are you?"

Her eyes narrowed, gaze fixated on your face. "Call me Ever. I'm third around here…" she trailed off. "Aren't you too old to be in Wammy's house?"

You laughed, releasing Barely from your hold. "Yes, I am. I'm just visiting, is all. I'll see you later," you said, winking at the two of them. Just before you left the room, you peeked back to see Ever wrapping her arms around Barely in a comforting hug.

"Aww, how sweet," you said, taking Mello's hand in yours. He squeezed it tightly.

"Why exactly did you just burst out crying? That boy wasn't _that _ugly."

You smiled, taking in slow breathes. "Of course he wasn't. He just reminded me so much of you…"

Mello smirked. "So that's a reincarnated me? Then that would make Where a reincarnated Near, and Ever a reincarnated Matt….wait, then that means-"

"--reincarnated you and reincarnated Matt love each other! AHAHAHA!!!!" you cried, not bothering to hold in your laughter. Mello only groaned as the both of you walked back to Roger's office.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Matt, get your hands out of there!" you said in a harsh whisper, tugging at his striped shirt. Matt was up to his elbows in Roger's old files, searching for something desperately.

"Wait, I just want to see if he still kept—here it is!" Matt cried, holding up a file like it was sent from heaven above.

"What is it?"

"This is my old file from Wammy's, with all my secret personal information. You know, like-"

"Like your real name?" you interrupted, now greatly interested. You reached up and snatched the file away from him.

"Hey! That's my business!"

"Alias: Matt," you read from the file. "Real Name……._Mail Jeevas?"_

You had never laughed so hard in your life.

"BWAHHAAHAHA!!!! M-Mail Jeevas?! What, where your parents a band of butlers who drove UPS trucks?"

"Sh-Shut up! It's not that funny!"

"This is fucking _hilarious! _Oh, excuse me, but I think the _Matt_man left some _Matt _in the _Matt_box."

"You're terrible."

You wiped tears from the corners of your eyes and lashed out at the desk drawer that contained the files. "What about Near and Mello? What's their names?!"

You snatched up a file that had Near's name on it and began reading. "Alias: Near, Name:….Nate Rivers?"

_Silence. _

"T-That's so…so sickeningly _normal."_

"OH COME ON, I'm the only one who gets laughed at?!"

You smiled again, reaching towards the cabinet when Mello slammed it closed. "Hey, I still don't know your name!"

Mello shook his head, smirking. "When the time is right, you'll know it."

You pouted and smacked him lightly, unhappy you still didn't know your beloved's name. "How can I marry you after I bring you back if I don't even know your name?"

Matt smirked. "I know his name, and trust me, Mello is a lot easier to moan out during sex than his real name is."

"MATT, YOU PERV!"

You quickly shut up as Roger reentered the room, with Near and Ever in tow.

"What happened?"

"Apparently, there was an all-out Toy War in the playroom…I think you should both leave now."

"…..Right."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You sighed, laying down in the bed and snuggling under the covers. After a long but pleasant trip, you were happy to be back home.

Mello slipped into the room silently, going under the covers next to you and holding you in his arms. "I guess it was nice to revisit Wammy's…brought back a lot of memories. Plus, I got to see Near get scolded by Roger on 'playroom ethics'. Priceless."

"Mhmm."

"Hey, are you upset or something?"

"Mhmm."

"Why the hell are you?!"

"Mhmm."

"You're not listening, are you?"

"Mhmm."

Mello smiled a bit before kissing your cheek lightly and turning over to sleep.

"M-Mihael."

"What was that?"

"My name…it's Mihael Keehl."

"It's a nice name…I like it."

Mello smiled, turning around again to hold you. After a few moments of blissful silence, you spoke up.

"Hey, want to know something?"

"What?"

"….I think Matt might be right."

"That's nice."

_Silence. _

"….Care to test it?"

"Pervert."


	13. Act Thirteen: Heat

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Me: Hehehe...**

**Mello: Oh what _now?_**

**Matt: She's happy because this chapter shows my awesome Love-Advice skillz!**

**Me: NO, you dumbass. I'm happy because this chapters cute and fluffy ^///^**

**Matt: Only because I _helped. _See, I'm totally not a dunce in dating, _ladies~_**

**Me: Actually, there is a point there. But if that's true, then I realized something.**

**Matt: What?**

**Me: You're obviously gay!**

**Matt: PARDON?**

**Me: I mean, how else would you know all those sweet things? No straight guy could be _that _amazingly insightful! That's practically law.  
**

**Matt: .....I hate you.**

**Lelouch: Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters.**

**Me: HE'S AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! *fangirlgasm***

**Mello: W-Wait, what about me?**

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Thirteen: Heat

"Mellooo," you whined, fanning yourself desperately. You lay on the floor in exhaustion, breathing slowly. "Please go away…"

Mello grunted, disobeying your request and instead turning to curl up next to you. He was like a human radiator; producing massive amounts of heat to the point you feared he may be radioactive.

Now, Mello's warmth was fantastic during the winter, but now it was the middle of July; the beginning of an unforgiving summer. You were so "fortunate" to have the one room without a single air conditioner or even a fan in sight. Matt tried best he could to blow on you, but breathe could only help so much.

"M-Mello, seriously! You may not feel it, but I'm close to having a heat stroke here!"

Mello grunted yet again, his new adopted language. He pressed his cheek against your bare shoulder, lifting your tank top to run his hands across your stomach playfully.

"GAH! I can't take this anymore!" you cried out in disgust, shooting upwards to a sitting position. Your hair stuck to your face, sweat glistening on your forehead.

"I'm going to shower, and then I'll just have to hang out in some convenience store where there's air conditioning until nightfall. I can't take this unbearable heat!"

You stood up quickly, stomping your way to the shower. "Can I come with?" Mello called after you. "I'll help you wash~" he cooed.

"No! Keep your fire-hands to yourself!"

Mello sighed, lying back down on the floor with boredom. Matt stared at his friend's expression, blowing stray strands of hair from his own sticky face. _Hmm…_

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

You hummed happily as the cool water ran over your skin, washing away the discomfort of all the sweat that clung to you. You were finally at peace when you heard a knock on the door.

"Mello, I told you no already. And don't even _try _floating through that door."

"Do I _sound _like your chocolate-loving man-bitch? It's Matt, dumbass."

Matt stood just outside the bathroom door, listening as the water ran in the shower. "Listen up…Mello's depressed."

You stopped midway shampoo. "What? He's not depressed. As far as I see, Mello can feel two emotions: pissed or horny."

Matt scoffed, leaning his back against the door and slowly sinking to the floor. "Then you must not know him that well. Mello feels just as many emotions as you and I can. And if I know Mello, he's depressed."

You stayed silent, the only sound being the water. Matt smirked to himself. "Tell me, Harmony, when was the last time the two of you have been intimate?"

"WHO ARE YOU TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS? PERV!"

Matt laughed, taking off his goggles. _This is going to be one hell of a long talk…_

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

You wrapped the towel around your wet hair, now fully clothed. Matt forced you to lie back on the bed as he sat in a chair opposite you, clipboard in hand.

"I believe you are already acquainted with me, Dr. Mr. Professor Love-Guru Matt. Today is your first 'How to Be Sexy' therapy session. Let's just say, you _definitely _came to the right place."

You rolled your eyes, laying your head back comfortably against the pillow. "Matt, since when did this turn into a therapy session?"

"Ever since your inner girl died and is rotting somewhere in the back of your brain. I mean, seriously, Mello is _way_ more of the woman in this relationship than you are! You should _love _all these things he does for you, and the both of you should switch roles, because I get the impression he's doing everything!"

You pursed your lips in defiance. "Psh, I'm telling Mello you called him a woman."

"That's not the point! Listen, Mello is depressed because all you do is shove him away when he shows you affection. And let me tell you, when he wants to cuddle, do it, because that is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before he brings out the machine gun and goes all Scarface on your ass."

"Matt, you must be blind or something. I k-kiss him all the time!"

"That's a different story. What about the _real _intimacy? For example, if he wanted to do it, what would you say?"

"T-That's a stupid question!"

Matt sighed, shaking his head as he scribbled something down in his clipboard. "I see…So what about just now, with the whole 'let's shower together' thing?"

"D-Didn't you just see? I called him a pervert, of course!"

Matt sighed again, scribbling more notes on his clipboard. "So is that what you do every time he suggests something? Call him a pervert? If all you do is call him perverted every time he opens his mouth, don't you think that'll drive him away?"

You pressed your thumbs together nervously, feeling as though you were under scrutiny. "B-But he always comes b-back…"

"…just to be pushed away again, Harmony."

Your eyes widened as realization flooded you. "O-Oh my God, he is depressed!"

Matt shook his head, scribbling. "Took you long enough, stupid…"

You glared daggers as him before snatching away the clipboard from his hands.

"Hey!"

"What exactly are you writing in here, _Love-Guru?!"_

"………….."

_Therapy Shit or Whatever:_

_Mello needs a hooker_

_Bitch needs a vibrator_

_Buy socks_

The rest of the clipboard was composed of doodles of Mario and Bowser.

"…………."

"……Matt, you're dead."

"I know."

Matt tossed his gameboy frantically onto the bed, allowing him to lose solidity again. He passed through the floor in his great escape, barely avoiding second-death induced by you.

"B-Besides that, did you get anything from this, Harmony?" Matt called from under the floorboards.

"Yes, that you're the worst kind of pervert out there, and that…Mello's sad and I need to fix it."

"I don't know about the first part, but the second sounds pretty good. Good luck with that!"

You took in a deep breathe, marching forward with determination. _Yeah, I'm gonna need it…_

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

Mello sighed again, plugging in the newly stolen fan into the outlet. _This should make things more bearable…_

He sat on the floor Indian-style, feeling the breeze from the fan blow on his face. He turned to plug in a second fan when he saw something odd on the floor.

The small, chocolate square stared up at him as though to mock him, just begging to be eaten. Mello couldn't resist but to pick it up.

"Hey, who the hell put chocolate on the floor?!" he called out, but received only silence as an answer. He looked just a few inches forward to see yet another square, followed by another and so on.

_What the hell is this?! Did Matt do this? Floored chocolate isn't funny, the bastard, _he thought as he stood, picking up each piece on the trail. He was slowly led to your bedroom unknowingly, following the trail of sweets like a naive animal into the trap of a hunter.

When Mello finally reached the end of the trail, he looked up, and dropped the pile of chocolate in his arms at what he saw.

"H-H-Hey Mello…," you stuttered, sitting in the middle of the bed. You ran your fingers across the silky satin sheets, its soft touch comforting along your fingers. "I-I had an idea of h-how to c-c-cool down…"

"U-Uhuh….," Mello said, absolutely dumbstruck. He watched as you reached for just one of the many bowls of chocolate sundaes that surrounded you. "Wanna help me f-finish them?" you asked, dipping in the single spoon into the treat.

"U-Uh….uh…" Mello found himself unable to speak, and he couldn't control himself as his eyes traveled downward to where he saw you wear only red, laced lingerie

"….Uh….umm….W-What….uh…" You couldn't help but giggle at his stupefied expression. _I guess he's speechless…well, it's better than depressed._

"C-Come sit," you said, patting the empty seat beside you. Mello obeyed, cautiously sitting beside you.

"H-Harmony," he managed to spit out. "W-Why are you doing this?"

You blushed more deeply than you already were, cradling the sundae in your hands. "W-Well, I guess I felt like I always pushed you away, s-so I guess this is my way of making up for it."

Mello sat silently, thinking for a moment before smiling softly. "Let me guess, this is Matt's doing?"

"….H-He had a part in it…."

Mello leaned in and kissed you gently. "Matt was right partially; I was a little abandoned, you could say. But I don't think like this, and I'm not going to force you into anything," he said against your lips. Each time he spoke, your lips would move in unison with his, making your face grow even hotter.

"O-Okay….," you said quietly, pulling away. Mello's hands found their way to your stomach, his fingers ghosting over them rapidly. "C'mon, smile," he commanded as he tickled you.

"Ah! Stop!" you squealed, laughter echoing in the room.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt walked slowly towards your bedroom, wondering curiously how everything was going. _I know it's not helping my already pervy image to eavesdrop, but still._

As Matt, pressed his ear against the door, his eyes became wide as he heard shuffling in the room.

"Ah! Mello, quit it!"

"Not until you do as I say!"

_Whoa, did it go badly? C-Could it be…__**rape?!**_

Matt pressed his ear more against the door, listening for what was next.

"GAH! M-MATT!" he heard you spit out. "I-If you're out there….Ack!....H-Help me out!!!"

"What the hell is going on in there?! Are you hurt?"

"N-No! I just want backup!"

Matt stood still for a moment. _W-Wait, she doesn't mean…__**a threesome?!?!?! **_

"I….I….I refuse to cooperate!"

"M-Matt!" he heard you shout again. "C'mon!!"

"N-No! I-I mean, I like you and all, but not in that….I mean, Mello's just…..and another thing, I like Mello, but in a brotherly way, and I refuse to take part in incest!"

With that, Matt ran away to the safety of the living room, leaving you and Mello sitting in your room with confused expressions.

"What the hell was he talking about?"

"I have no clue. Now, if you'd stop tickling me long enough, we could maybe start eating all these sundaes."


	14. Act Fourteen: Mistletoe

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Me: WOOH, IT'S CHRISTMAS! In the middle of Summer....hehe '^^**

**Mello: Excellent sense of timing, genius. How do you expect them to get in the holiday mood?**

**Me: Erm...Okay, EVERYONE TURN YOUR AC ON TO 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND EAT SOME COOKIES!**

**Matt: I LIKE COOKIES!**

**Mello: I'm surrounded by dumbasses...**

**Me: Oh shut up, what else could I do? Not update until it was actually Christmas? I'd lose all my reviewers!**

**Mello: Yeah, but then we wouldn't have to do these friggin' disclaimers anymore.**

**Me: Where's the benefit for me in that?!**

**Mello: -_- The world revolves around you, doesn't it?**

**Haruhi Suzumiya: Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters. And WRONG, the world must revolve around me!**

**Kyon: I feel like I'm always surrounded by retards who never...**

**Mello: Listen to what I....**

**Mello and Kyon: HAVE TO SAY! GASP!**

**Matt: And so the love affair begins.  
**

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Fourteen: Mistletoe

Between the time from summer to fall, not much really happened. Time passed by quickly, and before you knew it, it slowly faded into the brisk cold that was winter; December, to be more precise. Christmas was just around the corner, and you felt like your entire neighborhood was alive with the spirit, decorating everything in sight with lights and trinkets so that by nightfall, the city was gleaming brighter than the very stars in the sky.

You hummed happily as you twirled in circles, hanging up wreaths as you went. Mello watched in amusement at how such a silly holiday could make you so cheery.

"What's so special about Christmas? Don't tell me you still believe in Santa Claus," Mello said with a smirk, licking a bar of chocolate. He didn't dare bite to avoid the pain of not being able to actually _eat _it.

"Well, it's Christmas! It goes without saying that it's one time to be happy. Besides…this would actually be my first Christmas with somewhat of a "family" since my parents died, so…yeah."

"AWWW It's ok Harmony, we LURV youu!" Matt cooed, hugging you from behind. Taking advantage of your submissiveness, Mello nearly pounced on you from the front, successfully forming what you liked to call "A Retard Sandwich."

"Ok, ok, enough with the pity, guys. I'm trying to set up for the celebration and you're getting in the way."

"Wait, you mean like…A PARTY?!"

"No, Matt. This isn't exactly like your kinds of parties. Just a little Christmas get-together; that's all."

Matt released his grip, crossing his arms with a _huff. _"That's boring. You're _all _boring! I'm going to think of something _fun _to do for the party while you guys read dictionaries or whatever."

You watched with a slight smile as Matt stomped to his room, like a spoiled child who didn't get what he wanted. "Hmm…I wonder what Matt will cook up. Anyway," you said, turning now to the empty Christmas tree in the corner. "I still have decorating to do. Want to help?"

"Why have a tree? There's nothing to put under it," Mello said with a bored expression. With a stroke of genius, you snatched up a bow and slapped it on his forehead.

"There!"

"What the hell was that for?!"

"It's a little Christmas present to myself."

"What, physical abuse?!"

Smirking, you leaned down and kissed his cheek, ruffling his hair before you walked away. "Never mind, you'll learn when you're older."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You quickly skipped over to the door as the bell rang, signaling your guests were here. Happily, you opened the door to Near who was accompanied by Halle.

"Hey guys! Merry Christmas."

Near quietly shuffled in with Halle soon to follow. She put her hands on her hips, taking a good look around.

"Humph. Tell Mello if he's around right now that he really didn't leave you with much. I mean, you deserve so much better, honey. I could've sworn we passed by at _least_ two hookers on the way up here."

_Those were probably Matt's, _you thought jokingly as you gave a nervous smile. "Uh, Mello did what he could. He, erm, tells you to go to hell, and…a lot of other lovely things I won't repeat," you mumbled, ignoring the ranting blonde in the back of the room.

As time ticked by, the celebration began; presents were exchanged and refreshments were served, smiles a reoccurring image around the room. Things were going peacefully until Matt stumbled into the living room, nearly knocking over the tree in the process.

"Matt! Be careful, you idiot."

"S-Sorry. But I finally came up with something to do!" he cried with a wild smile. Ducking behind the tree, he pulled out a handful of ornaments that you recognized to be the terrible, almighty mistletoe.

_Ah shit…_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

At the sight of the floating mistletoes, you and Halle immediately ran for cover, going behind Near and using him as a human shield.

"Matt! We're not playing anything to do with those!"

"Oh c'mon!" he said, dangling the mistletoes from his fingers teasingly. "The name of the game is simple: All you have to do is avoid getting kissed until midnight. It's boys vs. girls; we'll be the hunters, and you both are the prey."

"Wait a sec, that is unfair on so many levels!" you cried in protest. "Two girls vs. three boys? Also, Halle can't even see two of you!"

"Life's unfair! And another thing, if you're caught….it's a kiss on the _lips. _Permanent rule!"

Halle crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "And if we don't want to participate? What then?"

Matt smiled evilly, bearing his canines. "I'll make it simple: One tequila, two tequila, three tequila-"

"Matt, you _wouldn't!"_

Matt smirked, heading for the fridge in slow motion. _If he goes on another of those rampages…_

"…A-Alright, fine! We'll play…," you mumbled, hanging your head in shame.

"Alright!" he shouted happily, tying a mistletoe around his head with a string. He proceeded to do the same with Near, and, after much wrestling, also with Mello.

"Better pucker up, because you girls are going to be _crushed."_

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

You and Halle sat huddled behind the couch, keeping an eye out for a possible attack.

"Any sign of someone yet?"

"No. Just Near, but he hasn't moved an inch from his spot in over an hour. Seems like he doesn't want to play."

You crawled army-style across the floor, Halle following. "I guess that means you may be flying blind, Halle. But don't worry, I'll help-"

When you turned around to Halle, however, she was gone.

"Halle?! Where'd you go?"

Panicking, you slowly tiptoed past Near as he continued to stare at the floor. _Okay, good. He's not paying any attent-_

"WHAT THE HELL?!" you cried as you felt yourself swish into the air by your ankles. As far as you knew, you were dangling by ropes in some sort of hidden trap from the ceiling, Near smiling smugly from his spot on the floor.

"As usual, I am the victor."

"Near, I thought you weren't playing!"

"I admit, it seemed childish at first. But I suppose temptation for the thrill of the game overcame me. I must say, you're perhaps a bit too gullible going into this; it was much like a spider in wait for his unknowing prey. Too gullible."

Twisting and turning, you tried desperately to reach for the ropes, but failed. "H-Halle! Help me!" you called.

"Don't bother. She chickened out and went home over five minutes ago."

"WHAT?!"

_Ugh, that unreliable bitch! I swear, when I get back to work…_ Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of padded feet across the carpet as Near walked over slowly, the mistletoe held high above his head.

_S-Shit…_

You closed your eyes, bracing yourself for what was to come, when you heard a sudden _snap. _

"Oww…" you moaned as you fell head-first onto the floor. _Oh, the wire snapped!_

Taking action, you immediately made your escape, dashing for the safety of your room. Once inside, you slammed the door, pressing your body against it.

However, when you faced forward, you had fallen into another trap.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"M-MY GOD….THEY'RE…EVERYWHERE!"

You pressed your back against the door as far as you possibly could, your mouth agape in horror. The entire room was covered in mistletoe; on the walls, the ceiling, and even scattered across the floor.

Matt had also managed to make some sort of tunic out of mistletoe.

"There's no escaping now! You're stuck!" He smirked as he leapt toward you, pushing your shoulders against the door.

"Fun game, huh?"

"Hey Matt?"

"What?"

"What was that huge crashing sound?!"

"…Huh? What crashing sou-"

Matt's eyes widened beyond limits as he witnessed his DS snatched off the table and thrown across the room, out an open window.

"….N-no…..no….nono…..NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" he sobbed, falling to his knees in agony. Taking advantage of the situation, you rushed out the door….

…and right into Mello's arms.

"Ah, fuck…."

"Ok, sure!"

"WHAT?!?"

Mello dragged you by your heels into his room, locking the door behind him. He lifted the mistletoe between the both of you, smiling.

"You know the game."

"….Yeah, yeah. Technically I lost three times already."

"But have you been kissed yet?"

"Well, no…"

"Good."

In a swift motion, Mello leaned down and pressed his lips to yours, holding your face in his hands. You felt his hands move from your cheeks to the back of your head, wrapping something around it. When you pulled away, you realized he had tied a bow around your head.

"Huh? I don't get it."

"Let's just say, it's…. 'a little Christmas gift to myself.'"

You smiled, resting your head on his chest. "Okay, and what do you plan to do with your 'gift'?"

"You'll learn when you're older."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the end, it had struck Midnight, and you had lost Matt's little Mistletoe Game. Not that you were really all that upset about it, anyway. Christmas was shaping out to be great; a celebration just between you and your odd, knit together family.

With a satisfied smile, you walked over to the music player on the table and pressed play. A soft smile made its way to your lips as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" ran smoothly through the speakers.

You took a seat down on the couch, breathing deeply. Matt had proceeded to do the tango with Near, swirling madly across the "dance floor" that was the living room. Mello sat next to you, staring at you awkwardly.

"Uh, do you need something, Mello?"

"Tch….No!"

"…Okay, then why the stares?"

Mello paused, a soft shade of pink tinting his cheeks. "…Want to dance?" he asked, holding out his hand.

_He acts just like a teenager with no experience. How…cute._

You took Mello's hand tightly in yours as you both stood up, making your way to the middle of the floor. Mello held your waist as you leaned against his chest, swaying slowly to the music.

As Matt and Near zoomed past, you had a sudden idea. Grabbing the nearest one you could find, you tossed a mistletoe between the two of them.

"Well, well, look who's caught!"

"WHAT?! You've got to be kidding!"

"You two are under! Like you said Matt, rules are rules!"

"…..Damn it…."


	15. Act Fifteen: Aquarius

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**Me: GAH This chapter is totally different from the mood in the last one ;_;**

**Mello: You must secretly be some depressive emo kid on the inside. I mean, with you, everything turns into a tradgedy!**

**Me: OH SHUT UP, look who's talking, Mr. Fuck-The-World-Attitude-Decked-Out-In-Leather!**

**Mello: FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, BEYOTCH.**

**Matt: Stop it, both of you! Make awkward sexual advances, not war!**

**Mello: So says the Flower-Child -_-**

**Me: EVERYONE STOP! We could be offending people here! And that means NO MORE REVIEWS!**

**Mello: That's all you care about, isn't it?**

**Me: Again, look who's talking? All you care for is beating Near, chocolate, and perhaps the reader when pertaining to this story!**

**Mello: There's nothing wrong with liking chocolate! *munches furiously***

**Me: Psh, you barely chew your food! More like you inhale the stuff!**

**Mello: -_- Go to he-**

**Matt: NO FIGHTING! BE KIND TO YOUR BEHIND!**

**Me: o.o That's from a toilet paper commercial...**

**Matt: Oh...Well, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF. AND I KNOW YOU LOVE YOURSELF A WHOLE LOT, MELLO YELLOW.**

**Mello: WHY YOU LITTLE-**

**Matt: Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters! ^^  
**

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Fifteen: Aquarius

It was January 24th.

What else could you be feeling other than nervous? Anxious, for one, for the return of your lover, and possibly one of the best friends you've ever had. Also, you couldn't help but feel anticipated for the future as you twirled the beautiful engagement ring around your finger.

You smiled happily as you, Mello, Matt, and Near sat in the back seat of the limo. You kept pushing that you wanted to visit Sidoh a few days before the actual death date to see how things would actually work.

The limo stopped in front of the familiarly strange part of SPK headquarters, closed off from the rest of society. As was routine, Near opened the large door to the safe and picked out the Death Note from the correct box, handing it to you.

"Hello, Shinigami. Nice to see you again," Near greeted. He motioned towards you. "Miss Paranoid would like to ask you a few questions before the 26th. Apparently no amount of reassurance will calm her down."

You glared at Near before turning towards Sidoh, taking in a deep breathe. "O-Okay, so everything should be set to use the Life Note, right? On the death date, I come here, write their names, and they'll become solid and, uh…not ghosts, right?" _Lovely choice of words. You totally sound prepared, _your conscience told you sarcastically.

Sidoh yawned, obviously bored. "Yeah, yeah, it's all set." Suddenly, however, a look of realization came over his face.

"Wait a second, you said 'them'. That's plural, right?"

You rolled your eyes impatiently. "Yes, 'them' means more than one, usually. Don't you have some sort of Shinigami school or something in your realm?"

"Learning grammar has nothing to do with killing people, miss," Sidoh snapped.

"…There is a problem, though."

You felt your face drain of all color, panic coursing through you. "A problem? W-What kind of problem?"

"You can only bring back one."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"…._What?"_

"You. Can. Only. Bring. Back. One. Of. Them," Sidoh repeated, speaking slowly as though he were lecturing a child.

"W-Why?" you stuttered, unable to keep calm.

Sidoh sighed, folding his lanky arms across his chest. "If I'm not mistaken, these two died on the same day, right? You can't use it if they have the same death date. The Life Note is so contradictive to the job of a Shinigami that we put a very strict set of rules on it, so that it wouldn't completely cancel out our efforts."

Tears began forming in your eyes. _I c-can't! This can't be!_

"W-Well, then Near can just use it after me or something! Yeah, that's alright! Ha-ha…hahaha!" you cried, laughing in a crazed emotional state.

"Stupid human. The same person can only use the Life Note once, that's correct. But in your case, only _you _can bring them back. Why do you think they didn't cross over in the first place? They stayed in this world because of _ you, _so only _you _have the power to bring them back…or him back, I should say. May the best man win," Sidoh explained, smirking in cruel delight.

Your laughter faded away, your expression fear-stricken. "…..So I can only bring one back to life. I-If I do, what will happen to the other one?"

Sidoh smiled wider, bearing sharp, misshapen teeth. He cackled evilly in enjoyment.

"Why, his connection to this world will eventually grow weaker and weaker the longer he stays, until he disintegrates into oblivion, my dear. A beautiful ending, don't you think? Kya ha ha ha ha!!"

The cruel, coarse laughter of the Shinigami sent shivers down your spine. Sweat beaded on your forehead as the panic fueling inside you made your fingertips grow cold in a physical reaction. You gripped the cursed Death Note tightly in your shaking hands.

"No….you're lying. You're just a lying bastard. It's not true……_It's not true!"_ you screamed, throwing the Death Note on the floor in a fit. Screaming with tears cascading down your cheeks, you began to tear pages out of the Death Note furiously, your objective to rip it to shreds.

"_Liar! Liar! Liar!" _you chanted, your voice cracking as you struggled to breathe from crying. Near grabbed you by your shoulders quickly, dragging you away as much as he could.

Mello and Matt watched speechlessly as you screamed and thrashed about, clawing the air in attempts to get back at the Shinigami, who only stood there with a smirk.

"We relinquish ownership, Shinigami. Thanks for your help…," Near mumbled, dragging you back to the limo.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You lay silently in your bed, the room around you close to pitch black; all the shades and blinds were closed tightly, banishing any light from the room. Tears fell from your eyes and onto the soft fabric of the pillowcases.

Mello and Matt entered your room quietly, feeling their way along the walls until they made it to your bed, lying down on either side on you gently. You rolled onto your back, making room for them. Both boys simultaneously placed a kiss on your cheek from both sides, resting their heads on your shoulders.

"We love you, Harmony. Sleep, sweetheart," Matt said comfortingly.

"This was enough for today. For once, Matt is right," Mello agreed, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist.

You unwillingly closed your eyes, breathing shakily. _I can't do this…_

You were afraid of waking up.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Me: GASP! A cliffhanger?! Hehe, I bet my reviewers want to kill me '^^**

**Mello: Serves you right, you selfish b-**

**Matt: IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALLLLLL~  
**


	16. Act Sixteen: Facing Forward

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**Me: LOL I had a lot of reviews about possible ways to solve the whole "One Person" scenario, and I must say, some were pretty hilarious; even one sided!**

**CHICKENRAMENZ:** No, no, Matt stayed to get revenge on that kid in the park with the video game! Yeah! Harmony... err... I... or the reader... just has to convince that kid to take Matt back, and she can take Mello back~ Yeah. lol idk

**DeathNoteSQUEAL:** AH HAH! MATT CAME BACK TO THE WORLD 'COS OF HIS GAMES ;D  
SO THE GAMEBOY CAN BRING HIM BACK =D=D=D=D=D=D=D

**RavenFire40:** She should totally bring back Matt.

**Mello: My my, how blunt. -_- THIS IS A MELLOxREADER STORY, YET EVERYONE SEEMS TO LIKE MATT. WTF?**

**Matt: HA, Don't be jealous just because I know how to claim the spotlight ;O**

**Me: Lol Ah how I love my reviews ^^**

**Mello: Pfft....MattxPark Kid**

**Me: Or MattxGameboy**

**Me and Mello: MATTxCHIHUAHUAxMATTxGAMEBOYxMATTxPARK KIDxFANGIRLS!**

**Matt: STFU!**

**Mello: Misseh doesn't own Death Note or its characters. Question, though: WHERE THE HELL ARE THE MELLO FANGIRLS?**

**Me: *hisses* MINE!**

**Mello: Ah, great. Now I know why -_-  
**

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Sixteen: Facing Forward

You opened your eyes slowly, light leaking from between the blinds. Your eyes traveled to the clock which read 6 a.m. sharp. The house was quiet, and everything seemed normal, without a thing out of place. There was no sign of the havoc from yesterday, not a hint of sadness or panic in the atmosphere.

_Maybe it was just a terrible dream…a nightmare that was just a little too real._

You rolled out of bed with a groan, your legs as heavy as concrete. You walked lazily into the living room where the smell of pancakes greeted you. Matt sauntered in and out of the kitchen, carrying your breakfast with each trip.

"Matt, since when do you cook?"

"Since today. Now sit down and eat," he said with a gentle smile.

You sat down at the table warily, eyeing his every move. "Where's Mello?"

"I sent him to steal me some Oreo-flavored cigarettes."

"…Matt, you are aware they don't exist. And if they do, they probably won't be anywhere near here."

"Exactly."

You took a tentative bite from your breakfast, your eyes narrowed at the smiling redhead. "Why'd you get rid of him?"

Matt sighed, clasping his hands together. "Let me get to the point: We need to talk."

You immediately shoved your plate away, getting up from your chair. "I don't want to hear _anything _about tomorrow," you hissed. Matt grabbed your arm, tugging you back down in your chair.

"I don't give a damn if you want to or not, you're going to listen to me," Matt said almost forcefully, tightening his grip. When he let go, he took a deep breathe, calming his nerves.

"The choice here is so obvious that I don't even know why I'm discussing this with you. I'm not about to be the reason for the ruins of the great thing you and Mello have going on. Your choices are as follows: Resurrect Mello, or don't resurrect me."

Matt smiled warmly, his green eyes glistening. _A warm smile that can bring happiness to even the coldest person… A tendency to put everyone before himself…and a stupidity that will make even the most serious person fall over in laughter…yes, that's Matt in a nutshell…_

"Matt, I hate you…," you whispered quietly, making the warm smile quickly fade.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you always put your loved ones first! If I make you hate me, then would you think of _yourself_ for once?!"

"The answer would be the same. I decided long ago I wasn't afraid of dying. If I was ready then, I'm set now."

Tears fell down your cheeks freely, pain writhing inside you. "_How can you say that?! _How the hell can you just act like…like you don't even _matter?!"_

"You need him more than you need me!" he shouted, raising his voice for the first time in the argument. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a sleek, white notebook, slamming it on the counter.

"…Near came by with this earlier. He left it in a box by the door, so I picked it up. Tomorrow's the day; if I'm the one alive, I'll never forgive you," he said quietly, walking away.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt walked away from you painfully, choking on the very air he breathed in. It was the first time he had ever yelled at a girl; not exactly the best experience he had ever had. What made it worse was that the girl happened to be one of the best friends he had since Mello.

He walked quietly into his room, shutting the door behind him. He wiped his damp eyes against the sleeve of his striped shirt as he took a seat in his familiar bean bag chair. He pulled out his gameboy with a sigh, knowing it may be the last time he may ever play it.

"Hmm…fading into oblivion's my fate, huh?" he mumbled, pressing harder on the buttons than usual. "I wonder if they have Pokemon there…"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mello walked in to see you hunched over the living room table, staring at a cold breakfast that sat there going to waste. Just inches away from you lay a white notebook, untouched since you first received it.

"…So that's it, huh?" he said quietly, walking up behind you. He laid a bag of cigarettes on the table, resting his cheek on your shoulder.

"…Oreo flavored cigarettes exist?"

"No, there's nothing but Nicotine patches in there."

"Nice."

Mello put his arms around you, lifting you from the chair enough so that he could slip under you. He held you tightly as he spun in slow circles in the movable chair. He placed tiny, quick kisses from your cheek down to your bare shoulder as you shut your eyes sleepily.

"Let me guess, Matt talked to you and now you're upset?"

"Don't make small talk with me; I know your real objective is to convince me to choose him somehow."

"It's because Matt always comes second without much of a say in any matter. I dragged him down once, and I don't want to again."

"I hate you both now."

Mello chuckled, placing a long, sweet kiss on your cheek. "It's going to be okay."

"It's not."

"Your skepticism really gets annoying, you know that?"

"It's not skepticism when I'm right."

Mello sighed, pulling you up to stand so that he could get up from the chair. Holding your hand tightly, he took you back to your room, without a single protest on your part.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

You sat at your work desk, your shaking hands fisted in your hair. The clock read midnight; only eight more hours until you were due at the SPK.

Hot tears ran down your cheeks as you sobbed quietly, careful not to wake Mello who snoozed soundly in the bed.

The Life Note stood open to a blank page, staring up at you as though mocking your indecisiveness.

_I can't do this…I can't do this…I can't!!_

Your eyes widened as your face grew pale.

12: 08 a.m.

_I can't do this…_

_And I won't._

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

You stood outside the large, steel safe behind SPK headquarters, entering the pin code to open the first gates. You watched Near enter is many times, and committed it to memory.

Stealing the key to the safe deposit box was easy; all you had to do was walk into SPK and ask for it at the front desk. The people at the night shift were too stupid to ask for purposes, and "I'm a personal friend of Near" were the magic words.

1: 03 a.m.

You opened the deposit box, taking out the battered Death Note and turning to face Sidoh.

"We meet again, Mafia Girlie. A bit early for the resurrection ceremony, though, don't you think?"

"Shut up."

"Ooh, feisty."

You tossed the Death Note on the floor, taking out the Life Note from your pocket and throwing it alongside. You stepped on both, staring the Shinigami straight in the eye.

"I have a favor to ask."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Me: GASP! Cliffhanger AGAIN? Lol I'm sorry I had to do another one ;3;**

**Mello: Because you're a selfish b-**

**Matt: I LIEK BIG BUTTS AND I CANNOT LIE!**

**Mello: STOP INTERRUPTI-**

**Matt: YOU AND ME BABY AIN'T NOTHING BUT MAMMALS SO LET'S-**

**Mello: STFU NOBODY LIKES YOU. -_-  
**


	17. Act Seventeen: Fairytales

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**Me: I would like to thank all my reviewers, particularly RavenFire40, Josephine_Falnor, DeathNoteSQUEAL, FranFictionx, CHICKENRAMENZ, and anyone else I may have forgotten. To these people, though, who always took the time to review every chapter so kindly, I thank you all so much! *tears of joy* With that, this is the end of Childhood Innocence. Enjoy this last chapter ;____; GAHHHHH I'M SO SAD TO END THIS.**

**Mello: .......**

**Matt: Like Mello said, we are too, honestly.**

**Me: W-Wait, are you saying all this time doing the disclaimers that you said you hated so much......you'll miss it? Did you actually _like _it?**

**Mello: Don't get in over your head. But...whatever, it was a fun ride.**

**Matt: *SOBSOBSOB* I LOVE YOU GUYZ. AND THE FANGIRLS, AND THE REVIEWERS, AND HELL, EVEN THAT DAMN CHIHUAHUA. *blows kisses* THANK YOU ADORING FANS!**

**Me: Hehe, fanservice ^^**

**Mello: Self-centered attention-whore -_-**

**Me: I LOVE YOU, MELLO :D**

**Mello: I wasn't jealous, and I _definitely _don't need comfort from you.**

**Me: ;3; Ow, that hurt. BUT I LOVE YOU ANYWAY xD**

**Mello: Whatever...**

**Me: Back to the topic, though. Since you seemed to like doing disclaimers so much for this story, I'll be sure to keep that in mind for future stories! YOU'LL DO THIS FOREVER. :D  
**

**Mello and Matt: O.O**

**Me: ^^**

**Me, Mello, and Matt: Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters.**

**Mello: Et alors, ceci est la fin, mes amis. Apprécier. (And so, this is the end, my friends. Enjoy.)(Mello speaking smexy French.....gahhh....*drools*)  
**

**Matt: ME GUSTO NACHOS. (.....I think you can figure it out.)  
**

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Act Seventeen: Fairytales

There was no such thing as a fairytale ending.

You learned this fact and knew it ever since you were little. Of course, like any other girl, you would dream of being your own princess and meeting Prince Charming. You fantasized about being stuck in some tower to be rescued by the man of your dreams, and to have a huge wedding where doves flew and petals drifted with undeniable beauty. You, too, wanted to have your own fairy godmother; you wanted to attend a ball for yourself; you wanted the same fantastical anomalies that happened in all those farfetched classical stories that were read to you as a child.

Once again, there is no such thing as a fairytale ending.

To be realistic, you had always known that the real world did not work that way, that reality made it almost impossible for a chain of events to really happen as so. Of course, there were special cases, but they were one in a million. The average person, as you realized, had to fend for themselves.

There is no such thing as a fairytale ending…but, does that mean you can't have a happy one?

There is where you found the loophole in your realistic, yes slightly pessimistic ideals against the fantasies of an all-too-perfect world. Just because you aren't a princess doesn't mean you won't one day find a prince.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a strange, unique experience. Being a witness to your own funeral, that is.

You stood silently next to your open casket, watching your still body rest peacefully. Your eyes traveled around the funeral home, sad faces staring down at the floor. One thing that was missing, you noticed, was tears.

"Huh…thought I'd at least get somebody teary. Guess not," you said, placing your hands on your hips. Near stalked up to the podium in the front in all his white glory, adjusting the high microphone to his stature.

"Heh…nice one, Near," you mumbled, giggling to yourself. Near coughed twice before breathing in deeply to speak.

"Miss Harmony…will be dearly missed."

With that, he stepped down awkwardly, earning confused looks from the almost-yet-not-quite-teary crowd. You couldn't help but laugh as you watched him shuffle to his seat.

"He really is an empty shell, isn't he?" Matt said with a smirk, coming up from behind you and tossing his arm around your shoulders. "That was a _really _heartfelt speech right there. Honestly, video games drain away half my brain cells, and _I _could've done better."

"This is Near we're talking about. You just need to appreciate the little things, Matt. Then you'll really understand his real meaning behind those words."

"Now that's even _more_ confusing."

You sighed deeply; a little sorry you had to leave the boy behind. _As if he wasn't alone enough already…_

You felt a small smile make its way to your lips as many of your fellow co workers wrap their arms in a group hug around Near, consoling his silent but still existent sorrow. _But…I think he'll be okay._

Halle was next to speak, heading up to the podium with her chest puffed out defiantly.

"Okay…I'm not going to make some huge sappy speech here; instead, let me point out how friggin' selfish you were, little Harmony, in your choice. Didn't you think about the people you left behind while running after those two knuckleheads?!" she yelled into the microphone, swaying her arms out dramatically at the intimidated crowd.

"B-But…but…I'll miss you, sweetheart," she choked out, sobbing into her hands. _Typical Halle…I'll miss you, too._

The priest came up soon after, giving his final blessings. Within the next half hour, the ceremony had ended, and the sea of black that were the attendants filed out of the home, leaving you with yourself, literally.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You lay across one of the middle pews, resting your head on Matt's lap. "Matt, is he still there?"

"Yep."

"How long do you think he'll take?"

"He's got a lot of pent up regret. Give him a little longer."

"…It's my fault, isn't it?"

"Obviously."

"That's comforting."

You sat up straight, staring at Mello who remained standing over your casket. He'd been the same for the past hour, never tearing his eyes away from your resting form. Cautiously, you got up from the pew, walking up behind him.

"Mello? The ceremony ended an hour ago," you said softly, taking his hand in yours.

"….I failed."

"Pardon?"

"I failed….I wasn't there, and then you went and did something drastic….and I wasn't there to do a thing…"

"Mello…," you whispered. For the first time in the whole ceremony, you felt like crying. "Mello, I had to do it. There wasn't any other choice, or at least a choice I was willing to make."

He turned towards you, his icy eyes red and irritated from rubbing away tears. "Someone once told me that there is always a choice, whether people want to see it or not."

You smiled comfortingly, standing on your tiptoes to kiss him softly on the cheek. "Well then I guess you can call me blind and label me stubborn."

Mello turned into you, burying his face in the nape of your neck, holding you tightly with the intention of never letting go. "I won't forgive you or myself for letting this happen. And just wait until I get my hands on Sidoh, the damned Shinigami…."

You pulled back, placing your hands on both his cheeks and kissing his lips. "I know."

Mello released you, turning back to the casket. He gave one last longing look before reaching around his neck to remove his rosary, laying it gently on your chest. He bent down and kissed your cheek for what seemed like a lifetime.

"Helloooo," you said impatiently, waving your arms in the air. "Stop kissing me so you can come over here, and, uh….kiss me!"

Mello pulled away, giving the smallest smile. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"I never knew you were a necrophiliac, Mello."

"MATT, OF ALL THE DAMNED TIMES-"

"Both of you, shut up," you said, shaking your head. Both boys obeyed silently, walking over to each side of you.

And so, you turned to your right and took the hand of your very own special brand of "Prince Charming"; your Knight in Black Leather. To your left, you hooked your arm around the arm of, though it seems emasculating to say, your sort of "Fairy Godfather"; your guardian angel who put others before himself, who kept an eye out for you at all times.

"Let's go."

There is no such thing as a fairytale ending….but you just had yours.

_Fin~_


End file.
